Huawei has launched what it says is the world's first 3.5-GHz TDD LTE-A device, representing the beginning of end-to-end commercialization of LTE-A over the band.
The wireless modem supports two-carrier aggregation for a total maximum downlink speed of over 220Mbps.
Huawei's Category 6 LTE-A device was showcased at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona during the 3.5-GHz LTE TDD Roundtable.
The value of 3.5-GHz band – defined by the 3GPP as spectrum between the wavelengths of 3400-MHz and 3800-MHz – is becoming increasingly recognized by operators worldwide as LTE-A gains traction.
In Japan, the nation's three largest mobile operators were recently awarded 40-MHz of 3.5-GHz spectrum each for their respective TDD LTE-A deployments.
The 3.5-GHz band is also being utilized for rollouts in the Philippines, Bahrain, Canada, Argentina and Peru, Huawei said.
Australia's NBN Co also recently completed a trial of TD-LTE over 3.5-GHz as part of efforts to deploy the fixed wireless component of the National Broadband Network.