Hong Kong cellco CSL has begun deploying a dual-band LTE network using equipment from ZTE that will refarm its 1800 MHz spectrum.

 

The deployment, announced Thursday, is part of a contract under which ZTE will supply CSL with its entire LTE infrastructure, including devices and a unified core network. No financial details have been disclosed.

 

ZTE said its software defined radio (SDR) technology will support distributed multi-mode and multi-band base stations, allowing CSL to run LTE on 2600 MHz and 1800 MHz.

 

CSL CTO Christian Daigneault told telecomasia.net that running LTE in the two bands would give better indoor coverage and provide more stable connections in hot broadband-traffic areas through the extra capacity.

 

“Another advantage is that for LTE sites installed in-building, LTE at 1800 MHz can re-use the existing GSM cabling,” Daigneault added. “This will accelerate the availability of LTE in all indoor locations in the future.”

 

CSL isn’t the first cellco to look at deploying LTE in the 1800 band. Finland operators TeliaSonera, Elisa and DNA were allocated additional 1800 spectrum in April 2009 specifically for LTE rollouts.

  

Earlier this month, CSL’s parent Telstra announced it was trialing 1800 MHz LTE with equipment from Huawei Technologies.

 

On a general level, LTE at lower frequencies like 1800 MHz have the attraction of greater coverage and thus lower costs.

 

One hitch in refarming spectrum for LTE capacity, however, is having enough of it in a given band – which is why CSL won’t be refarming its 900 MHz band for LTE, Daigneault said.

 

“We have already refarmed 900 MHz for [HSPA+] for immediate benefits, and there is not enough spectrum at present to add a LTE carrier,” he said. “LTE becomes efficient with more than 10 MHz of spectrum, and all HK operators only have 8.3 MHz paired [in the 900 band]. At 1800 MHz, CSL has large amount of spectrum which is more than sufficient for the co-existence of LTE and GSM.”

 

CSL has been trialing LTE in Hong Kong since November 2009. Daigneault said CSL still has no firm launch date for commercial LTE services.