T-Mobile has achieved the world’s first six-carrier aggregation call using sub-6 GHz spectrum on its live 5G production network.
In collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm, T-Mobile aggregated six 5G component carriers to reach peak speeds above 3.6 Gbps—fast enough to download a two-hour high-definition movie in under seven seconds.
“We are thrilled to have achieved this milestone, which showcases the incredible speeds and performance our customers can expect from our industry-leading 5G network,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile.
The demonstration combined two channels of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G, two PCS channels, and two AWS channels to create roughly 245 MHz of aggregated bandwidth. Carrier aggregation enables operators to combine multiple channels across different frequency bands, significantly increasing throughput and network capacity.
“We are pushing the limits of what’s possible with 5G to keep our customers connected with transformational speeds and network performance,” added Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology at T-Mobile.
Starlink “Direct to Cell” service
Earlier this week, T-Mobile announced a new offering that leverages “Direct to Cell” capabilities built into SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. With this approach, signals will travel directly between a user’s phone and the satellite network, bypassing traditional ground cell towers.
This will allow for mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth.
Note, this only supports ~7Mb per beam and the beams are very big, so while this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial… https://t.co/ymHpw8XBHl
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2024
“We are tirelessly pursuing 100 percent connectivity coverage for Americans,” said Neville Ray. “This groundbreaking alliance fundamentally changes the connectivity equation, helping us move toward universal mobile access.”
At launch, the service will prioritize basic text messaging and emergency messaging capabilities, with plans to expand to voice and data over time. T-Mobile aims to enable customers to stay connected anywhere they have a clear view of the sky.
(Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash)
See also: EchoStar completes $26B acquisition of DISH Network
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