Turkcell and Huawei have trialled a new technology that could help devices make better use of available spectrum.
Called LTE Spectrum Coordination, it aims to mitigate the proliferation problems of higher frequency bands by combining them with lower bands.
Specifically, it enables a device to carry downlink over both high and low bands but enables it to select either high or low bands for uplink depending on availability. Devices can therefore benefit from the high capacity of higher frequency bands when close to the base station and from the broader coverage of lower bands when further away from it.
According to test results, the technique increased downlink data rates by over 30 percent at cell edges, where the device is at the furthest possible distance from all base stations.
Turkcell will use the technology in conjunction with 4.5G in its TechCity 2.0 project, which provides a testbed on the operator’s live network in Ankara to trial new innovations.
Gediz Sezgin, Chief Network Officer at Turkcell, said LTE Spectrum Coordination could “enhance spectral efficiency and improve user experience”.
Ying Weimin, President of R&D Management Department of Huawei Wireless Network Product Line, said: “This technology lifts the binding dependency between the uplink and downlink channels, addressing limited uplink coverage on high bands.”
The combination of high and low frequency bands to expand coverage has been trialled by other operators, including Vodafone Italy and EE.