Nokia Siemens Networks today revealed that it has completed a test of fourth-generation cellular data that proves the service quick in real-world conditions. Using the upcoming Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard, the company has successfully reached wireless download speeds as high as 173 megabits per second in a downtown Berlin environment where interference would normally reduce the signal strength and hurt connection speed. The service crests above 100 megabits per second even with multiple users wandering as far as a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the tower providing the signal, according to Nokia Siemens.
The results are expected to have a significant impact on the development of the new 4G technology, which will both be used in Europe through carriers such as Vodafone but also by American providers AT&T and Verizon, both of which have committed to using LTE for their cellular service between 2009 and 2010.