Telstra has worked with Qualcomm, Ericsson and NETGEAR to develop the world's first Gigabit-class LTE mobile device and Gigabit-class commercially ready LTE network.
A new NETGEAR mobile router based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem and Wi-Fi equipment will enable download speeds of up to 1Gbps over Telstra's upgraded LTE network, which uses equipment supplied by Ericsson.
Telstra now plans to conduct device, network and user testing ahead of a commercial launch, which is expected within the next few months.
Combined, the equipment is capable of delivering Gigabit-level LTE speeds through a combination of 3x carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO on two aggregated carriers and 2x2 MIMO on the third, as well as 256-QAM.
“We pride ourselves on our connectivity expertise and we continue that tradition today by completing the first commercialization of a Gigabit Class LTE network and device,” Telstra group managing director of networks Mike Wright said.
“With the world’s first Gigabit Class LTE network, we have substantially improved our network capacity and increased real-world LTE download speeds, while also gaining a distinct advantage over competitors as we can now offer an entirely new class of LTE service.”
Ericsson head of RAN products Per Narvinger added that “Telstra’s commercial ready Gigabit Class LTE network and device is an important milestone as it paves the path to 5G.”