Ericsson Urges 4G Adoption in Jordan

Swedish vendor Ericsson has called for Jordan’s cellcos to introduce 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services to satisfy the growing demand for data consumption. The Jordan Times quotes Tarek Saadi, the head of Ericsson’s Middle East operations as saying that: ‘It is the right time for introducing these services in Jordan, taking into accounts the rise in internet traffic.’ Plans to auction additional frequencies for 4G services and to allow the entry of a fourth wireless provider into the market have not been well received by the nation’s incumbents.

The CEO of Orange Jordan dismissed the technology, saying that: ‘3G technology meets the current needs in the country and it was launched a few years ago… the focus should be on introducing further improvements to 3G technology. We are not part of the game at present to introduce 4G technology and this is our position.’ Rival operator Umniah has trialed the technology but echoed the sentiment of Orange, saying that it would only: ‘integrate the new technology … just as soon as the conditions are deemed convenient for Jordanian users to accommodate such service at an appropriate cost’.