First calls over next generation LTE mobile networks should happen by the end of the year, according to Steve Wainwright, v-p sales and marketing and general manager at Freescale EMEA.
"The common silicon platform supporting LTE basestation development in there and the first calls should take place by the end of the year," Wainwright told EW.
However, this will be the start of a gradual deployment and Wainwright expects it to be another two years before we see widespread industry adoption of LTE technology.
He was speaking on the eve of the Broadband World Forum in Paris where silicon suppliers will be showcasing a range of hardware supporting LTE, which is seen as the most likely global standard for 4G mobile, phone networks.
Freescale has seen Alcatel-Lucent design-in its eight-core QorIQ P4080 processor and MSC8156 DSP in its LTE platform for next generation wireless basestations.
Based on 45nm process technology, the device integrates eight e500 Power Architecture cores, a tri-level cache hierarchy and datapath acceleration hardware.
Freescale is now sampling the QorIQ P4080 processor to select customers.
"This design win continues our track record of working closely with Alcatel-Lucent to advance the state of wireless technology worldwide," said Lisa Su, general manager and senior v-p of Freescale's networking and multimedia group.
The onboard Multi-Accelerator Platform Engine technology for baseband, called MAPLE-B, works in concert with the six fully programmable DSP cores to support the 3G-LTE, TDD-LTE, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX standards, as well as the symbol rate functionality of HSPA and HSPA+.