Telefonica SA (TEF) has agreed to test fourth-generation long term evolution, or LTE, networks, in six countries ahead of a future roll out of the new cellular technology.

In a press release, Telefonica said it will conduct tests during the next six months in Spain, the U.K., Germany, Czech Republic, Brazil and Argentina.

LTE, as the technology is also known as, handles data traffic at much faster speeds than current mobile telecommunications networks and allows more advanced services such as mobile video.

Telefonica conducted its first LTE trials in April in Madrid.

Telefonica is Spain's largest telecommunications company by market value and customers.

Company Web site: www.telefonica.com

-By Jason Sinclair, Dow Jones Newswires; 34 913958127; jason.sinclair@dowjones.com