Road to 5G: Ericsson, T-Mobile pioneering superior LTE network capabilities

Ericsson and T-Mobile US are pushing the boundaries of network performance through rapid evolution using some of the most advanced technologies available. Ericsson and T-Mobile have worked together on a network evolution plan and optimization path to continue to provide a superior user experience.

The companies will continue to maximize the success of LTE and will prepare the network for evolution to 5G by implementing key technology enhancements included in 3GPP Release 13 and beyond.

Neville Ray, CTO, T-Mobile, says: “T-Mobile’s LTE network is the most advanced in the US and we’ll continue to deploy the latest, global leading technologies that will create the foundation of a powerful 5G network built for mobility. We work closely with strategic partners like Ericsson to deliver the most advanced technologies that enhance our customers’ experience.”

Since T-Mobile’s record-setting 18-month rollout of a nationwide LTE network – enabled in part by the space-saving Antenna-Integrated Radio (AIR) product from Ericsson – further evolution of AIR technology helped enable T-Mobile’s rapid rollout of 4x4 MIMO and 256 and 64 QAM last year. These technologies doubled peak data speeds, and by using them together with carrier aggregation, T-Mobile will combine its spectrum holdings into one data pipe to enable Gigabit LTE speeds within the year. T-Mobile will also leverage LTE-U technology to bring Gigabit LTE to more places.

Ulf Ewaldsson, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Ericsson, says: “Our work with T-Mobile has pushed us to find the highest-quality solutions for a growing and demanding subscriber base. For example, our pioneering HD Enhanced Voice service for LTE and Wi- Fi last year improved audio quality and reliability for voice and music within calls. The bar gets higher each time, and we continue to push our own teams to prepare T-Mobile for its journey to

Ericsson also provided 700 MHz tuning and optimization services, which enabled T-Mobile to adapt coverage, throughput and capacity to manage data traffic growth while ensuring high- quality service to its customers. Ray continues: “We are getting ready for true 5G mobility. With incredibly low latency, very high bandwidth and amazing speeds, 5G networks built for mobility are set to enable one of the biggest tech transformations in history.”