All Sections

Vodafone triples 4G mobile broadband speeds with LTE-Advanced rollout

Vodafone has followed in the footsteps of EE by giving customers the option of faster 4G with the rollout of LTE-Advanced. 

The network says that LTE-Advanced, also known as LTE-A, will triple current 4G speeds for its customers and improve indoor coverage. 

Vodafone is rolling out LTE-A in London, Birmingham and Manchester initially, before it starts delivering it to other areas of the UK. 

Vodafone’s technology director for the UK Fergal Kelly, said: “This clever technology is the next big step to deliver faster speeds per user and to increase the capacity so more customers can enjoy a great 4G experience when and where they want it.”

The red network is combining its 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum to ensure that more people can get the faster speeds. 

The lower 800MHz frequency is better at travelling over longer distances and through obstructions such as walls. Services on the higher 2.6GHz frequency are better able to cover areas with high populations like London and Birmingham.

While a rollout of LTE-A means that only customers with Cat 6 LTE devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be able to get the fastest experience, the launch also means that everyone on Vodafone’s network should see an uplift in download and upload speeds

When rival network EE was preparing to launch LTE-A, a spokesperson told Recombu: “This will effectively double the space and double the capacity in London. Customers on all phones, even the first 4G iPhone will get a great differentiated 4G experience.”

Before LTE-A could be launched, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom said it wanted to thoroughly test LTE-A before allowing a commerciall rollout amid fears the 2.6GHz band could interfere with the 2.7GHz band, which is used by air traffic control.

Now that both EE and Vodafone have been given a green light, It is likely rival networks will follow suit with their own faster connections.

The rollout of LTE-A is part of a £1 billion Vodafone investment to improve its network and services across the UK this year. 

Vodafone is aiming to make 4G mobile broadband available to 98 per cent of the population by 2015. 

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *