Huawei released the world’s first 3.5GHz LTE-A device at the 3.5GHz LTE TDD Roundtable at MWC 2015. The device, supporting 2 carrier aggregation with total downlink speed of over 220Mbps, represents the end-to-end commercialization of LTE-A at the 3.5GHz band.
3.5GHz spectrum is defined by 3GPP as TDD band 42 and band 43 with 400MHz of bandwidth from 3400~3800MHz. In relation to the constant growth in mobile data traffic, the value of 3.5GHz spectrum is increasingly being recognized worldwide. In Japan, the top 3 operators were each recently awarded 40MHz of spectrum towards their respective TDD LTE-A deployments last December. In the Americas, operators in Canada, Argentina and Peru are currently rolling out networks in their areas. While operators in Italy, Spain and Norway have all expressed interest in using TDD LTE-A to provide fiber-like wireless broadband access in suburban and rural areas. In Asia pacific, the world’s largest 3.5GHz LTE network is being deployed in the Philippines. And in Bahrain, the world’s first nationwide 3.5GHz commercial network is being built.
With abundant spectrum, 3.5GHz is the ideal band for LTE-A deployment. The release of this CAT6 LTE-A device represents the beginning of the end-to-end commercialization of the band. More carriers including TDD+FDD carrier aggregation will also be introduced soon, building increased development momentum of the 3.5GHz industry.
