Singtel has announced it has achieved peak speeds of 1.5Gbps using five-carrier aggregation, setting a new Asian record for LTE-Advanced speeds.
The company plans to gradually deploy the new capability across Singapore, and plans to introduce the first smartphones supporting 1.5Gbps speeds once they become available in 2019.
Singtel achieved the 1.5-GHz speeds in collaboration with Ericsson, using a combination of two 1800-MHz carriers and 2100-MHz, 2600-MHz and TD 2500-MHz spectrum on the same network. The lab trial used a Viavi Solutions and Stellent Networks test system to record the speeds.
“By leveraging five-carrier aggregation across both FDD & TDD, we continue to lead the way to meet customers speed and capacity demands. We are proud to be working on new capabilities and advancements on LTE,” Ericsson head of Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines Martin Wiktorin said.
The two companies have meanwhile revealed plans to launch a pilot 5G network in Singapore next quarter.
“We are constantly investing in innovative technologies to boost network speeds, enhance coverage and expand capacity to give our customers the best network experience,” Singtel CEO consumer Singapore and group chief digital officer Yuen Kuan Moon said.
“As our customers’ lifestyles increasingly revolve around their smartphones, we do our best to ensure they enjoy fast, reliable, comprehensive and secure connectivity.”