According to Ericsson, Vodafone will be leveraging its latest network software update, the 15B release, for its existing baseband hardware to enable simultaneous operation of LTE FDD and TDD. With technologies from Ericsson and Qualcomm, Vodafone will be first to take advantage of LTE FDD/TDD network convergence and carrier aggregation, starting with its network in Portugal.
According to Ericsson, adding TDD to the already installed FDD network significantly enhances the total downlink data capacity and improves subscribers' mobile broadband experience. In addition, FDD/TDD carrier aggregation extends the app coverage of the TDD layer by up to 230 percent.
Vodafone's current deployment for the trial in its commercial network in Portugal uses 15 MHz of band 3 (FDD 1800) and 20 MHz of band 38 (TDD 2600) and tests are supported by the Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 810 processor with X10 LTE running in a device.
Per Narvinger, Head of LTE, Ericsson
Combining TDD with low-band FDD spectrum will improve the high-band TDD coverage area, and the TDD spectrum will significantly improve the overall downlink throughput. With global availability of TDD spectrum, we regard FDD/TDD carrier aggregation as a key technology to further improve user experience for customers worldwide.
Enrico Salvatori, SVP and President of Qualcomm Europe
We are delighted to work with Ericsson and Vodafone on the latest LTE-Advanced multimode solutions and to deliver consumers an improved mobile broadband experience. The Snapdragon 810 processor with X10 LTE builds upon our leadership in LTE-Advanced technology by supporting carrier aggregation across LTE TDD and LTE FDD.
