Which other vendors will get a boost from LTE networks?
Rubino: One interesting area is how you backhaul traffic from the cell tower to the packet core. Operators will carry a lot more traffic because it's going to be all-IP traffic. Today, they use fiber optics or copper. As the technology for packet-based microwave gets better and better, the cost per bit goes down and will continue to go down.
So packet-based microwave may be another area that has potential growth. Carriers are going to need to increase the number of cell sites over time, and if they don't want to run fiber, which could be very costly, the next thing would be microwave.
If laptops and netbooks are the first LTE devices, how will they be LTE-enabled?
Rubino: When LTE networks are enabled, first there will be LTE dongles you plug into your laptop. There have been rumors that laptops and netbooks will eventually have some kind of LTE wireless card in them -- like when Wi-Fi came out. Eventually, there will be LTE phones, but not right now.
How will carriers get a return on their LTE technology investments?
Rubino: Currently 3G and 2.5G networks separate voice and data, with voice carried on circuit-switched networks. LTE actually combines voice and data on one all-IP network. Ultimately, that means you don't need as much equipment because one pipe will handle it all for LTE services. That makes the network a lot more efficient to operate.
How gradual will the migration be from 3G to 4G?
Rubino: There's so much data on 3G networks that it's swamping the voice calls, and the LTE migration will help that. As we integrate 3G and 4G, operators will have a lot more bandwidth to handle the all-IP traffic. If you look at Verizon, it won't shut off the 3G jets just yet. It will migrate to LTE because not everyone is going to have an LTE card or dongle in their laptop, and we don't even have LTE phones yet.