By Rae Le Maistre
May 10, 2012
Mobile device manufacturer Olive Telecom is to use Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) chipsets from Israeli vendor Altair Semiconductor to develop products for India’s BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) market.
Olive, which makes mobile handsets, tablet computers and netbooks, is using Altair’s Hornet LTE-TDD chipset, which the vendor says has been tailored for the Indian market. (See Altair Launches LTE-TDD Chipset For Indian Market.)
The announcement should provide further encouragement to those looking for early signs of a growing 4G ecosystem in India. Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Mumbai: BHARTIARTL) has begun launching its BWA services, in Kolkata and Bengaluru initially, and there are expectations of further network deals soon. (See The Big Fight For LTE Deals, Bharti Launches 4G in Bengaluru, India Welcomes 4G Services and LTE Subs to Hit 17M in Four Years.)
It also marks a breakthrough for Altair, which is competing with the likes of Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq: QCOM), Sequans Communications and ST-Ericsson to strike high-volume deals with multiple device manufacturers that supply India’s wireless device market. (See Chip Vendors Rev Up for LTE Market, Sequans Lifted by Early LTE TDD Action, Qualcomm Teams on LTE TDD Devices, Tablet Vendors Eye India Opportunity and India: 4G Chipset Battleground?.)
Altair has already established itself as a major LTE-TDD chipset player in other markets around the world. It has products commercially deployed in Brazil and has been involved in a number of field trials with major operators such as Japan’s SoftBank Corp. and China Mobile Ltd. (NYSE: CHL), as well as multiple operators in India. (See Altair Powers Up First TD-LTE Mobile Hotspots, Altair Powers Softbank’s 4G, Altair Chips Gets Certified in Chinese LTE and Altair Semiconductor Breaks TD-LTE Speed Record.)