MuLTefire technology has been trialled by the Saudi Telecom Company and Nokia, as the vendor looks to foster interest in the new “LTE like” technology.
The technology uses unlicensed spectrum, 5GHz in this case, to deliver high download speeds and capacity. The companies behind the technology, including Ericsson, Nokia and Qualcomm, are targeting enterprises wanting to set up mission critical local networks.
This test used Nokia’s FlexiZone technology and MuLTEfire software to show how a network could co-exist with Wi-Fi in a densely populated environment. Nokia said MuLTEfire can fit alongside HetNets, which it hopes will form part of future smart city and IoT networks alongside macro radios and small cells.
The test resulted in download speeds of 120MBps and Nokia said it delivered 50 percent better range and doubled coverage compared to Wi-Fi.
Nasser Al-Nasser, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, STC, said: “We are the first operator in the world to have successfully conducted the test of MulteFire technology with Nokia. This test underpins our commitment to explore and identify the latest technologies that can further boost the overall service experience for our subscribers even as demand continues to grow. MulteFire will allow us to deliver LTE performance with a simplified deployment.”
Waseem Al-Marzogi, Head of STC Group Business, Nokia, added: “As one of the founding members of the MulteFire Alliance, Nokia is driving the development of a global technical specification, and this test is a crucial step toward commercialization of the technology. By collaborating with operators like STC, we can develop new ways of utilizing spectrum such as 5GHz to meet the network demands of today and tomorrow.”
As SCWS World earlier this week, delegates heard how the first commercial MuLTEfire network is expected to go live in the fourth quarter of this year. However, they also were told how device support was critical to its long-term success.