Proximus, Belgium's second largest operator, has extended LTE Advanced Pro technology in seven cities in the country after it rolled out the enhancement in three initial areas in February.
Proximus is collaborating closely with Samsung and Huawei for the 4.5G network upgrade and Sony on the devices end.
Proximus' initial tests show the 4.5G network enables a maximum theoretical download speeds of up to 900 Mbps. By comparison, 4G and 4G+ can offer maximum download speeds of up to 150 Mbps and 225 Mbps respectively, said Proximus.
Proximus said the 4.5G roll-out holds a promising future for new broadband-intensive applications such as 2K, 4K HD and even 360° video, virtual and augmented reality, etc. Moreover, the improved network will boost the customer experience, even in areas with a high traffic density.
With the roll-out of 4.5G, in anticipation of the arrival of 5G technology in Belgium, Proximus claims that it once again takes the lead, in order to offer its customers the best possible user experience.In 2015, Proximus rolled out 4G+ in major cities, and in November of last year Proximus became the first Belgian operator to start testing 5G technology, reaching speeds of up to 70 Gbps.
