Finally, in Western Europe, both Telefonica and Vodafone have launched pre-commercial LTE services in Spain. Both operators are initially offering services to corporate customers using spectrum acquired in Spain’s August 2011 auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum. Across these bands, Telefonica secured 60 MHz of paired spectrum while Vodafone picked up 50 MHz.
Along with this unrelenting trend of commercial LTE launches comes wide variance in operator business models spanning parameters including:
· LTE network coverage and coverage plans
· Spectrum band usage, including multi-band strategies
· Device profiles and prices, and planned device offerings
· Data service plans and pricing, with dramatic differences in terms of monthly data allowances or caps, overage charges, advertised and theoretical service speeds and contract periods.
Dianne Northfield is vice president of research at Tolaga Research. For more information go to www.tolaga.com/