Patent storm gathering over 4G telephony

The dream of wireless communication so real it is like talking face to face has been realized at the Shanghai Expo, where the latest in telephony shows what fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication will be like.

The wireless system on display - complete with a liquid-crystal display panel with top-quality sound and images - uses TD-LTE, the 4G mobile network standard developed by telecom companies China Mobile, the nation's largest telecom operator.

The International Telecommunication Union has selected a TD-LTE version known as LTE-Advance as one of candidates to be the international 4G standard. The final decision is expected in October.