Etisalat, a leading telecom operator in the UAE, has tested and started a phased upgrade of its network to the futuristic 4G Advanced (LTE-A) tri-band technology based on carrier aggregation technology for the first time in the region.

A live testing on the network has successfully concluded, making way for ultra-speeds of 700Mbps mobile broadband connectivity and ensuring network readiness once handsets are commercially available, a company statement said.

LTE carrier aggregation is the next step in the evolution of high-speed mobile broadband services, enabling operators to make the most of their existing spectrum assets by combining multiple spectrum bands to enable higher mobile broadband download speeds.

Saeed Al Zarouni, senior vice president, Business Planning and Technology Evolution, Etisalat said: “Etisalat has adopted a holistic approach towards building a smart infrastructure that can boost communication and services between people, businesses and government.”

“In coming months, our LTE 4G network will cover 88 per cent of the UAE’s populated area and provides the country’s fastest mobile internet at speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

“A few months ago, we successfully conducted a live testing for potential speeds of up to 300 Mbps on our 4G LTE network. We are extremely thrilled today to be the first in the region to trial our 4G LTE-A network for future speeds of up to 700 Mbps. It is most definitely Etisalat’s move forward to rolling out the region’s first fifth-generation (5G) network,” added Al Zarouni.

Advanced technologies, adopted by Etisalat, have set a benchmark for other companies to follow by increasing mobile broadband speeds and enhancing customer experience. The capacity, higher data speeds and efficiencies provided by LTE Advanced carrier aggregation technology will help manage growth in data traffic as more customers choose Etisalat’s network, Al Zarouni noted.

“While our 4G network is well prepared to respond to the growing demand for mobile data, to ensure that we are able to accommodate new opportunities and strengthen our services, we will continue to build capacity and expand through investments in our networks and resources,’ Al Zarouni concluded. – TradeArabia News Service