Pakistan's Wi-Tribe is on track to deploy the market's first LTE-Advanced network in around May this year.
The former Wimax operator plans to launch a network capable of speeds of up to 100Mbps within the next few months, Pro Pakistanireported. The company expects to raise this speed to 200Mbps by end-2018 and to 400Mbps by around 2019 as more advanced customer premises equipment becomes available.
On Facebook, Wi-Tribe group chairman Hasan Bokhari and Wi-Tribe advisory board chairman Shahid Malik Chairman confirmed that the company has awarded Huawei a $15 million contract to help deploy the network.
The executives said the network will be the first LTE-A deployment in the 3.5-GHz band in South Asia and the Middle East, and is expected to be fully operational in June.
Wi-Tribe plans to invest over $25 million in LTE-A over the next three years, and its owners have committed to reinvesting all profits from the company's operations over this time back into the business.
“We see a very bright future through LTE-A insha’Allah [if Allah wills it], and intend to offer not just competitive packages with unrivalled technology, speed and reliability but with the advantage of having all this backed up by our Tribers who will continue to deliver the best customer support in Pakistan,” the executives wrote.