TeddyK
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ElizabethS
Rogers’ Long Term Evolution (LTE) network been touted as a “game-changer” because it may very widen the data pipes we’re becoming so increasingly reliant on. But that’s a long-term play — the short-term change is that the way you consume media is about to change forever.
The launch took place in Ottawa last week because it (and the surrounding area) is the first to make use of the faster speeds. Residents as far as Arnprior, Ontario in the west, Orleans, Ontario to the east, as well as the Hull and Gatineau regions of Quebec currently have access to the LTE network. Rollouts will follow in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal in the fall, with the next top 21 markets in Canada by the end of 2012.
On paper, the speed is impressive. Theoretically, this LTE network can download up to 75Mbps, but the more realistic number is officially pegged at 12 to 25Mbps. That’s easily at least three times faster than what we now get to see using 3G HSPA, so in practical terms, this is definitely a significant step up.
Having been at the launch event in Ottawa to see this first-hand, I witnessed the network stream a 720p live HD broadcast to a laptop. Even better, 1080p movie trailers and other video could stream wirelessly with no latency or lag.
This is pretty cool when you think about watching an HD movie via Netflix, or even streaming HD content remotely from your home. Batches of photos could be downloaded in mere seconds, songs could be bought and downloaded in a flash and data transferred wirelessly in a heartbeat.
But like anything that’s new and cool, this comes at a cost — and a fairly expensive one at that. The lowest LTE data plan is $45 for just 1.5GB, while the highest is $90 for 9GB. Each gig you use above your limit is an extra $10.
Considering that HD content is so data-heavy, all the demos showing off the network’s ability to handle it are really just a tease. Stream a 720p movie to your laptop using an LTE Rocket Stick, and you’ll have used up 1GB in less than an hour. Spending $45 to not even be able to get through a full movie is ridiculous, so for the time being, LTE users will be streaming their stuff at much lower bitrates.
That’s why the more interesting story about LTE is uploading rather than downloading. Do a test on your smartphone or tablet and see what your upload on 3G is. Probably no more than maybe 1.5-2Mbps, right?
Well, LTE can reach over 20Mbps for uploads, which is a phenomenal difference from what we’re used to now. And what will this affect more than anything else? Yup, the cloud.
The cloud is constantly touted as the ‘next big thing’, and it probably is, but in the cloud, data flows in two directions. For the cloud to truly take off, people need to be able to access and add to their content libraries fast, and LTE allows this to happen in seconds and minutes rather than hours and days. That’s a breakthrough that is more of an immediate “game-changer” than anything else.
Except the LTE Rocket Stick (plus an LTE SIM card) is the only hardware that can actually piggyback on that speed. Only Samsung and HTC have announced that they will have LTE-ready phones for Rogers this fall, while others like Apple and RIM have stayed mum so far. Once the phones come out, tablets are surely next when the newer ones launch early next year.
The LTE Rocket Stick is currently being sold for $79 on a three-year contract ($169.99 contract-free). Residents in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal can pre-order theirs in advance until 9PM on July 11.
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