LTE tech still long time to go in Indonesia

The much-awaited long term evolution (LTE) technology which bridges 3G and 4G, will be developed in Indonesia, but its application remains a long time to go.

Deputy general manager of ZTE Corp for CDMA and LTE, Liu Jin Long, said Thursday the Chinese telecom giant was helping its Indonesian counterpart Telkomsel prepare the high speed mobile Internet technology in the Southeast Asian country.

"We have signed an MOU with Telkomsel on R and D of LTE technology for network trial, but its application will depend on the development of 2G and 3G development. We are ready with the technology, but the operator and users will decide," Liu said on the sidelines of a postal and telecommunication expo in Beijing.

He said LTE would not cost an operator a lot as it would only have to upgrade its infrastructure.

Indonesian users, however, concerned much about the price of new gadgets that suit the new technology.

"Besides they are already satisfied with the 3G," he said. ZTE has developed LTE in seven countries, not including China, with 50 countries still on trial, including Indonesia.