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French operator SFR Hits 628Mbps in 4x4 MIMO Trial over Commercial 4.5G Network

French operator SFR Hits 628Mbps in 4x4 MIMO Trial over Commercial 4.5G Network Image Sources: SFR, Huawei

French telecom operator SFR has partnered with Huawei to complete a pre-commercial field verification of 4X4 MIMO, achieving a downlink throughput of 628.31 Mbps using a commercially available phone on SFR's 4.5G network.

SFR began construction of its LTE network in 2012. With the increasing popularity of mobile video and real-time gaming services, its mobile data traffic has seen an average annual growth rate of as much as 100% over the past two years.

In response to the skyrocketing traffic demand, SFR launched a new unlimited data package in April 2017. SFR plans to strengthen investment in the 4.5G network. SFR is expected to extend its 4.5G network coverage to 90% of its customers by the end of 2017, and further lift this figure to 99% by 2018.

4.5G technologies such as carrier aggregation, MIMO, and 256QAM effectively increase network capacity. MIMO, in particular, improves capacity, coverage, and ultimately user experience without extra spectrums or base stations.

Tests using a commercial phone on the 4.5G live network verified that the combination of 4x4 MIMO, 2 CC carrier aggregation, and 256QAM can achieve a top throughput of 628.31 Mbps. At such rates it is possible to play high-definition mobile video without interruption, fully satisfying customer demand for a smooth video watching experience and giving SFR a leading edge in the area of commercial 4.5G networks.

According to Huawei, 4.5G Evolution helps global operators enhance their businesses by introducing 5G technologies into existing 4G networks. Operators can trial 5G-like services quickly and develop the new business models that 5G will support. 4.5G Evolution will improve the operators’ businesses today while keeping them on the road to a successful transition to 5G tomorrow. 4.5G Evolution, Road to 5G!

Michel Paulin, Chairman and CEO, SFR Group
Today, SFR's 4.5G network has achieved an average downlink throughput of 300 Mbps in over 221 cities. A 10-GB video can be downloaded within 4 minutes and 30 seconds. We will further increase the average downlink throughput to 500 Mbps by 2018.

Kit Song, GM of Huawei's France Rep Office 
We are excited to jointly deploy an unparalleled network with SFR Group to best serve our users in France. The large-scale deployment of 4x4 MIMO is essential to the continuous evolution of the 4.5G network. Huawei will innovate persistently to provide cutting-edge solutions for the communications industry in France.

Author

Ray is a news editor at The Fast Mode, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the wireless industry.

For tips and feedback, email Ray at ray.sharma(at)thefastmode.com, or reach him on LinkedIn @raysharma10, Facebook @1RaySharma

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