AT&T and Ericsson announced that they have conducted a live LTE-LAA technology field trial, during which initial wireless data rates of more than 650 Mbit/s were achieved in downtown San Francisco.
AT&T noted that LTE-LAA technology is expected to play a key role in its push to achieve theoretical peak speeds of 1 Gbit/s at selected small cell sites by the end of this year. In addition, the technology also constitutes a key element as the operator works to upgrade the network and increase speeds in its 5G Evolution markets.
The operator stated that while 5G standards are yet to be finalised, it is seeking to lay the foundation for future wireless networks leveraging the 5G Evolution program and technologies including LTE-LAA as it aims to begin delivering 5G wireless data speeds as early as late 2018.
AT&T previously demonstrated the ultra-fast speeds enabled by LTE-LAA at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where it showed mobile user speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s utilising LTE-LAA combined with carrier aggregation, 4 x 4 MIMO and 256QAM.
LTE-LAA combines unlicensed spectrum with licensed spectrum through carrier aggregation to increase overall network capacity and enable faster, more reliable wireless speeds. The technology is designed to co-exist with other unlicensed spectrum technologies such as WiFi via a feature termed ‘listen before talk’, which allows fair coexistence between LTE-LAA and WiFi.
- AT&T announced in April that as part of its 5G Evolution program it planned to begin offering higher speed, lower latency services for wireless customers with the latest devices in 20+ major metro areas by the end of the year. The new wireless capability was initially available in parts of Austin, where AT&T wireless customers with a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ are able to access faster 5G Evolution Internet speeds.
- AT&T stated at that time that the higher speed service would be expanded to Indianapolis in the summer, with plans to extend it to markets including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and San Francisco.
