SÃO PAULO – More-efficient use of spectrum is one of the challenges telecom operators face around the globe. As the demand for data services increase and turn toward discussions of “5G,” carriers are looking at their internal operations to understand how their infrastructure can better fit this new environment. During this week’s Futurecom event in São Paulo, the use of spectrum and improving capacity were topics of discussion.
Telecom operator TIM said it has been allocating part of its 1.8 GHz spectrum band, which today is used for 2G services, to support its LTE network. The refarming is geared toward boosting LTE coverage with the goal to reach 400 cities with LTE service by the end of this year. As of September, TIM covered 265 cities with LTE service.
Leonardo Capdeville, CTO at TIM, explained the telco is deploying two-carrier aggregation solutions (provided by Huawei) to use spectrum in the 1.8 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands to provide LTE services. By 2017, TIM expects to add support in the 700 MHz band. Capdeville said that with the 1.8 GHz band, TIM is able to increase network speed and coverage.
TIM also expects carrier aggregation to meet demand for data traffic during the Olympics Games, set to take place next year in Rio de Janeiro. As the city is getting ready for the games, TIM said it has deployed 300 new antennas across Rio to improve services.
Testing new technologies
After the announcement that Claro and Ericsson plan to conduct 5G trials in Brazil, Claro said it is set to start trials of LTE-Advanced. The pilot project is scheduled to occur in Anapolis next November, and use the 1.8 GHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum bands. Claro, which is owned by América Móvil, also said it’s evaluating the use of 1.8 GHz and 450 MHz frequency bands for LTE services.
“We are testing frequencies that are available,” explained Carlos Zenteno, CEO of América Móvil’s Brazil operations.
Talking with journalists during the event, Zenteno said Claro is looking forward to the unused potential of the 700 MHz band, which is currently used for analog TV, to support LTE services.
On the topic of new technologies, Jose Otero, director for Latin America at 4G Americas, in an interview with RCR Wireless News talked about the path to 5G across the region, and how carriers are refarming spectrum in order to improve LTE services.
