In conjunction with network and device partner Samsung, Sprint said it has deployed 3CCA LTE service across 500 cell sites in Chicago
Sprint’s ongoing trials of three-channel carrier aggregation took a broader turn as the carrier announced network trials in Chicago with device and equipment partner Samsung.
The carrier said it had deployed 3CCA capabilities across 500 cell sites in Chicago, with each site supporting three 20-megahertz channels of spectrum from Sprint’s vast 2.5 GHz spectrum portfolio. The 60-megahertz of total spectrum is said to provide download speeds of more than 230 megabits per second using commercial Samsung devices like the Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
Chicago has been a test bed for much of Sprint’s network activity, as the market was also home to its first two-channel carrier aggregation deployment that is the basis for its LTE Plus service. That offering, which includes 40-megahertz of total spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band to go along with additional LTE support in the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz band, is currently available in 237 markets supporting network speeds in excess of 100 Mbps.
Günther Ottendorfer, COO of technology at Sprint, would not state planned expansion of the 3CCA capabilities, but did note the carrier would be looking at markets where it viewed the greatest network demand.
Sprint has over the past several months been discussing 3CCA lab trials using various Samsung, HTC and LG devices showing network speeds of up to 300 Mbps.
The latest Sprint news comes on the heels of Verizon Wireless moving on a broad roll out of both two-channel and three-channel carrier aggregation technology using its 700 MHz, 1.7/2.1 GHz and 1.9 GHz spectrum holdings. The LTE Advanced service is said to support network speeds 50% faster than its basic LTE network – so figure download speeds of between 7.5 Mbps and 18 Mbps – across more than 450 markets.
Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter
