ZyXEL Intros LTE SOHO RouterZyXEL Intros LTE SOHO Router

ZyXEL Communications Corp. claims it's the first company to introduce a Long Term Evolution (LTE) router for residential and small-office applications.

The firm is announcing the ZLR-2070S, an LTE unit that can be used as residential customer premises equipment or as a router for a small office. The vendor says it will be demonstrating the device at the coming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. (See ZyXEL Intros First LTE CPE/SOHO Router.)

The ZLR-2070S has two VoIP ports, home networking via an 802.11n wireless switch, and a USB port for printers and storage.

A spokesperson tells Unstrung that the router is available now "for testing" by carrier customers and partners. ZyXEL is expecting that the router will be sold through carriers, so market availability will be down to individual service providers.

The router will support the 700MHz band. This means that ZyXEL is looking at U.S. carriers as potential major customers, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened up the former analog TV band for wireless broadband this year. Verizon Wireless is planning to launch an LTE network on the 700MHz band in 2010. (See Will LTE Break the Bank? and When Will Verizon Launch LTE in 2010?) ZyXEL already has several larger LTE infrastructure pieces on its books. (See Who Makes What: LTE Equipment.)

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung