GigaOM Pro

New solutions for LTE fragmentation don't solve the problem of smaller operators’ being left out in the cold.

The wireless wars may be done, but the aftermath is a hodgepodge of LTE bands that threaten to create more fragmentation than the split between CDMA and GSM ever did. This fragmentation has a huge impact on every aspect of the wireless industry, particularly handset vendors and smaller operators, who will have some very tough choices to make in the near future. That includes accepting that a universal phone might, after all, be an admirable idea that is ultimately insupportable.