Huawei today announced the launch of Unlicensed LTE (U-LTE) solution for telecoms.
U-LTE aggregates licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands to provide a better subscriber experience, strengthen overall network capacity, and expand market opportunities for mobile operators, said Huawei at the MWC 2014.
Huawei does not share specific business benefits to 4G operators.
Though licensed spectrum bands are a core operator asset, unlicensed spectrum bands (like 5GHz) will increasingly play an important role in mobile operator business models due to the increasing scarcity of licensed bands and the need for continued growth in network capacity.
U-LTE allows operators to aggregate data streams being carried on both licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands to strengthen network capacity, improve spectral efficiency, and improve user experience.
Unlicensed bands allow for enhanced delivery of services with ultra-wideband frequencies, while at the same time licensed bands also for greater mobility and continuity of service of the enhanced service experience.
Typical deployment scenarios for U-LTE include indoor, outdoor and hotspot coverage locations. Small cell equipment can flexibly and cost-effectively employ U-LTE without adding additional sites and transmission resources.
In a lab environment, Huawei has achieved a 740 Mbps peak rate with a U-LTE product prototype aggregating multiple licensed and unlicensed spectrum data streams.
