LTE Device Mock-Up at MWC

7:05 AM -- Long Term Evolution (LTE) device sightings are bound to be a quest for many show-goers at the wireless industry's annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona in a couple of weeks.

So, here's one to add to your show agenda: NEC Corp. (Tokyo: 6701) has just announced that it will display a mock-up of its LTE concept terminal on its booth and will stage a demo that features high-definition video streaming and a mobile thin client, at the NTT DoCoMo Inc. (NYSE: DCM) stand. (See NEC Demos LTE Device at MWC.)

The concept terminal was developed by NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. , and Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo: 6702; London: FUJ; OTC: FJTSY). NEC says it will also reveal the results of the terminal's performance assessments and an update on the development progress at MWC. (See DoCoMo Develops LTE Handsets.)

Japan's DoCoMo aims to be one of the first operators in the world to light up its LTE network, with plans to launch by December this year. The operator has stated that it will launch with data cards and that handsets will follow in 2011. (See APAC Operators Commit to LTE, DoCoMo Starts Afresh for LTE Backhaul , DoCoMo LTE Devices in 2010, and DoCoMo Shells Out on LTE.)

Now that the first commercial LTE network is up and running in Sweden, and operators like DoCoMo and Verizon Wireless aim to launch their LTE networks this year, the burning question is: Where are the LTE devices for those networks? (See TeliaSonera First to Go Live With LTE, TeliaSonera Prices First LTE Offer, and An LTE iPhone? Think 2012 (or Later).)

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Unstrung