EVOLVE is a new coalition that was announced earlier this week, whose goal is to promote the consumer benefits of unlicensed spectrum and new technologies for unlicensed spectrum like LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) and Licensed Assisted Access (LAA). LTE-U and LAA are new technologies that will substantially increase data speeds and improve coverage for millions of Americans. Founding members include the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA—The Wireless Association, Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Qualcomm Incorporated, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The EVOLVE coalition believes regulators should reject calls to preemptively interfere with new technologies like LTE-U and LAA that enhance utilization of unlicensed spectrum.
CTIA-The Wireless Association Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Tom Sawanobori said, “CTIA is a proud member of EVOLVE, which is a diverse coalition dedicated to educating consumers and policymakers about the user benefits of LTE in the unlicensed band. Given that almost 60 percent of wireless traffic is offloaded to Wi-Fi, EVOLVE members are committed to ensuring that Wi-Fi and LTE can co-exist in the unlicensed bands, which were specifically established for spectrum sharing and not exclusive use. The testing proves that the two technologies work well together and that the introduction of LTE-U can actually enhance Wi-Fi performance. Consumers will enjoy faster speeds, lower latency and better coverage from LTE in the unlicensed band. We look forward to working with EVOLVE and other interested parties to make LTE in the unlicensed band a reality for American’s wireless users.”
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