Australian mobile carrier Optus said it has successfully trialed TD-LTE Advanced carrier aggregation (CA) technology, achieving single user peak speeds of over 160-Mbps on its commercial 4G network earlier this month.
Optus said it activated LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation on its 4G Plus network in Melbourne by joining two 20-MHz channels together on its 2300-MHz spectrum. The method is capable of delivering a theoretical maximum speed of up to 220-Mbps to a single user on compatible mobile devices, Optus said.
Vic McClelland, managing director of Optus Networks, said it was the first time in the world that 4G carrier aggregation has been introduced into a live TD-LTE network, as previous tests have only been occurred in labs.
Prior to the trials over the fully operational 4G network, Optus lab tested the technology. It achieved a throughput of 520-Mbps, by combining four 20-MHz channels of the 2300-MHz spectrum band into 80-MHz.
McClelland said that the company expects LTE-A compatible mobile devices with faster 4G chipsets to be widely available in the market in early 2014.
“This is about ensuring that Optus continues to build a mobile network that keeps pace with the ongoing evolution of 4G devices. When customers upgrade to newer and faster mobiles and modems, we want to make sure that our network is ready for them to take full advantage, much like building a faster highway for faster cars,” McClelland explained.
At present Optus’ TD-LTE network is available in selected areas of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and offers customers additional capacity to connect to a 4G network, as customers with compatible mobile devices can connect to Optus’ 1800-MHz or 2300-MHz networks, the company added.