Verizon Wireless has taken a step in the development of the Long Term Evolution mobile broadband network.

Verizon selected digital security specialist Gemalto to provide an over-the-air platform and LTE Universal Integrated Circuit Card for the industry's first LTE network. The carrier also selected Giesecke & Devrient, a technology leader in the field of smart cards, to provide special Java-based SIM cards from the G&D SkySIM product line for the LTE network.

"We're building a brand-new 4G network and this is part of that build-out," said Larry Rybar, senior member of the technical staff for Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, NJ. "We're moving toward a 3GPP world, and we'll be rolling out 3GPP devices, which require SIM cards.

"Gemalto and G&D are two of the leading suppliers of SIM cards, they've helped other operators convert to UICC cards and they're going to help us do the same," he said. "These two companies are well respected in the space."

Gemalto
Gemalto supplyies governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises with a range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, smart card access badges, electronic passports and USB tokens for online identity protection.

The OTA platform and UICC will help Verizon Wireless deliver a secure and reliable multimedia data connection, provide global roaming and remotely add new UICC card applications and services on its 4G LTE wireless broadband network.

Verizon Wireless selected Gemalto for its over-the-air platform, which will help the wireless leader manage LTE devices on its 4G LTE network, as well as its UICC, a new innovative microprocessor smart card.

The UICC will be used inside mobile devices to manage subscriber information exchange, such as transferring contacts and preferences from one device to another, while providing secure access to Verizon Wireless' LTE network.

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment, Verizon Wireless' goal is to deploy a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage and in-building penetration, all at a cost structure significantly below current levels.

G&D is a global market leader in security services around banknote paper, banknotes, banknote processing systems and smart cards for telecommunications, electronic payments, transportation, healthcare and identification.

The LTE supporting SIM cards will help Verizon Wireless provide data services to its subscriber base on its 4G LTE wireless broadband network.

"As far as the development of the LTE network, things seem to be on track," Mr. Rybar said. "Things seem to be going well, and these announcements show that we're moving forward with our LTE deployment."