Singapore's StarHub plans to start rolling out carrier aggregation and 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) technology by the end of the year to triple peak upload speeds to 150Mbps.
The operator recently completed a trial of the technologies with Nokia, aggregating spectrum in the 1800-MHz and 2600-MHz bands.
Following the successful tests, StarHub plans to start deploying the technology starting in the Marina Bay and Orchard areas in time for the city's year-end celebrations. A nationwide rollout is planned for 2017.
"The ability to upload quickly is fast becoming a necessity for our mobile customers. In fact, we saw a close to 50% increase in upload traffic year-on-year, as customers increasingly share high definition videos and photos instantly with the world,” StarHub CTO Mock Pak Lum said.
“Collaborating with technology partners such as Nokia, we are driving innovation in 4G for the benefit of our customers amid continued growth in mobile data use."
Nokia head of Asia South Nicolas Bouverot added that the vendor is “committed to supporting StarHub in its quest to deliver a world-class service experience to its customers. Our technologies will enable the operator to improve the upload and download speeds of its 4G network even at peak traffic times to enrich the user experience."