Belgian operator Mobistar has announced that they have successfully finished testing its LTE-Advanced or 4G+ network in Mechelen. This uses a combination of 1,800 and 800 MHz 4G frequencies to allow a more efficient use of the spectrum higher speeds and a better coverage inside buildings. It has managed to achieve a throughput of over 200 Mbps.
The combination of 1,800 MHz (20 MHz of spectrum) and 800 MHz (10 MHz of spectrum) frequencies would offer average gain of 30% for indoor coverage and a significant increase in the capacity of the bandwidth, says the company. It carried out the test from January till April 2014 using a CAT6 CPE E5186s-22a prototype device from Huawei. In its tests Mobistar achieved download speed of 213 Mbps and upload speed of 41 Mbps. The company’s current 4G technology offers an average download speed of 38 Mbps and average upload speed of 16.6 Mbps.
Last year Japanese operator NTT Docomo launched 150Mbps high-speed Xi LTE service in the country based on 1800 MHz frequency (5 MHz of spectrum).
Mobistar plans to deploy its 4G+ technology in places where it holds 800 and 1,800 MHz spectrum once 4G+ compatible devices are available in the market and when it offers nationwide coverage.