Qualcomm in collaboration with EE and Huawei has successfully completed an inter-company interoperability testing of LTE Category 9 connectivity with 3-carrier downlink aggregation and download speeds of up to 410 Mbps. The category 9 carrier aggregation testing was conducted using Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 processor with integrated LTE-Advanced next-generation modem, and Huawei’s commercial infrastructure solution, across EE’s LTE-A ‘4G+’ network, allowing EE to aggregate 20MHz of 1800MHz spectrum with another 20MHz of 2.6GHz, and a third carrier of 15MHz of 2.6GHz.
According to Qualcomm, the test is the first of successful completion of LTE Category 9 interoperability testing with major solution providers and operators in Europe and demonstrates the superior end-to-end experience delivered by higher speeds and 3-carrier downlink aggregation.
Yang Chaobin, chief marketing officer of Huawei Wireless Network Business Unit
Huawei is dedicated to improving network capability across the UK – delivering fast speeds and more reliable connection to all mobile devices. This test is a truly groundbreaking moment as we move towards the 5G era. This LTE Category 9 interoperability test is the first successfully announced trial of its kind in Europe and we’re proud to be working alongside Qualcomm Technologies and EE to drive future networks.
Tom Bennett, director of network services and devices at EE
Working closely with the excellent teams at Qualcomm Technologies and Huawei on the next generation LTE Category 9 connectivity enables us to make full use of our spectrum holdings, and continue to offer world class network capabilities, innovating to stay one step ahead of operators in Europe. Use of our remaining 15MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum enables both our fastest speeds and an increase in capacity across our network and this successful testing phase is a big step forward. We look forward to demonstrating this at Wembley Stadium early next year.
Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president & president of Qualcomm Europe
We are excited to work with EE and Huawei in ushering in the latest evolution of wireless connectivity. Transitioning from Category 6 to Category 9 LTE-A connectivity will mean 1.5x faster peak download speeds, swift application response times, reliable connectivity and connections to the fastest networks.
