Telefónica used equipment from Nokia and a chipset provided by Qualcomm
Spanish telecommunications operator Telefónica, together with Finnish vendor Nokia and U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies, demonstrated download speeds of up to 800 megabits per second through a number of technical updates to the telco’s 4G network.
Telefónica said that Nokia radio network equipment was used during the demonstration as well as a test terminal equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem.
The technical advancements, which were implemented during the demo, included the incorporation of two carriers that allow mobile terminals to simultaneously download data from two frequency bands, multiple-input/multiple-output 4×4 technology and 256 quadrature amplitude modulation.
The Spanish operator said all of these technological advances will be introduced into the telco’s radio network in order to gradually increase the speed mobile terminals can reach. Telefónica added that the chipset used in the pilot test will be used in advanced smartphones.
“We still have a long way to go to reach ‘5G.’ We first have to move forward in the development of LTE networks. And that’s what we’re doing with partners such as Nokia and Qualcomm,” Joaquin Mata, Telefónica Spain’s director of operations and networks, said. “Without a doubt [LTE-Advanced] will greatly surpass data transmission speeds of one gigabit per second in the next few years. Today, after having reached 800 Mbps, we’re a little bit closer”.
“We’re pleased to have worked with Telefónica and Nokia in the achievement of this milestone. 4×4 MIMO and 256QAM, both of which are supported by our Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, offer the operator significant advantages in terms of speed and capability, and we will continue to collaborate with all the parties involved so as to transfer this improved usage experience to the end user,” said Enrico Salvatori, SVP and president of Qualcomm Europe.
Telefónica offers LTE services through spectrum in the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
European Commission clears Tele2’s TDC Sweden acquisition
In other EMEA news, Swedish telecom group Tele2 has confirmed that its acquisition of TDC Sweden has been approved by the European Commission.
The telco said it will now work toward closing the transaction by the end of October.
Tele2 said the acquisition, which had an enterprise value of 2.9 billion kronor ($335 million), will allow the telco to become a stronger player in the business-to-business segment in Sweden.
“This acquisition is consistent with our strategy to be champions of customer value for both consumers and businesses, allowing us to serve our large B2B customers with a stronger and wider range of communication and network services,” Tele2’s president and CEO, Allison Kirkby, said.
