Optus has switched on its 3x Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology in a number of Newcastle suburbs, delivering mobile download speeds of up to 317 Mbps.Optus states that the addition of 3x CA to its 4G Plus network can provide customers with compatible category 9 smartphones, such as the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note 5, “significantly maximized mobile download speeds compared to a single 4G channel”.
3x CA on Optus 4G Plus is powered by a 1x Frequency-Division Duplexing (FDD) and 2x Time-Division Duplexing (TDD) LTE Advanced network, using a combination of spectrum bands.
Optus has switched on 3x CA in the Newcastle suburbs of Lambton, Mayfield and Mayfield West.
Dennis Wong, Optus Networks acting managing director, stated mobile data download speeds of 317 Mbps were achieved on the live network using a category 9 device at Mayfield West.
“Aggregating 1x FDD + 2x TDD carriers on a commercial network with a commercial device is a world-first for Optus,” Wong stated.
“It is a more efficient use of our spectrum bands and will provide a more consistent and better experience for our customers.”
Optus plans to switch on 3x CA in the Melbourne CBD in early September, rolling it out to the Sydney CBD early next year, to be followed by the Brisbane and Adelaide CBDs from mid-2016.
Optus currently offers 2x CA on its 4G Plus network in selected areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin, as well as 20 major regional centres.
“While we look forward to 3x CA in category 9 devices, current Optus customers with category 6 devices can already enjoy the 2x Carrier Aggregation (2x CA) technology, which are currently our fastest ever 4G speeds,” Wong stated.
