Samsung announces plans for LTE handset

Samsung will develop the SCH-r900 handset for use with the LTE network

Samsung has announced plans to produce a handset for use on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband platform.

The company said that it will develop the SCH-r900 handset for use with the LTE network, which is operated in the US by MetroPCS. The device is initially scheduled for a trial run later this year in a handful of cities.

Samsung will also start selling telcos the computing and radio devices needed to build the backbone for an LTE network. The company will offer a range of LTE devices, including rack-mounted appliances and radio antennas.

Samsung gave few additional details on the handset, including a specific release date or international availability.

Samsung's announcement comes just days after news surfaced that fellow US carrier Sprint is working with HTC on a handset to run on the competing WiMax wireless network.

Both WiMax and LTE have been suggested as eventual successors to the current 3G wireless broadband system. LTE has garnered a larger support base, but neither standard has thus far moved beyond small targeted deployments.