LTE CA of licensed and unlicensed bands on mobile networks is said to enable smartphones to maintain an LTE connection while receiving a speed boost from unlicensed 5GHz spectrum.
The LTE trials with unlicensed spectrum are being conducted over Vodafone's network in the Netherlands, using the Ericsson RBS 6402 indoor small cell and an LTE unlicensed band capable test device developed by Qualcomm Technologies.
"Our intent in deploying small cells is always to deliver the best customer experience, and we see the potential for LTE aggregation with unlicensed bands on small cells as one way to make that customer experience even better. We are already using Ericsson's RBS 6402 indoor picocell in our own shops in the Netherlands, so it's great to see that it will also support advanced LTE CA capabilities with unlicensed spectrum on our network,” said Matthias Sauder, chief network officer, Vodafone Netherlands.
