The FINANCIAL — At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016, Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, will jointly demonstrated 4.5G (LTE TDD+) uplink key technologies, using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with X12 LTE, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with X8 LTE. Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. These technologies improve the LTE TDD uplink data transmission rate in typical scenarios by 50% to 100%.
The recent explosion in the use of mobile data services and high-definition (HD) video services has transformed the way people communicate. Video is increasingly being used regularly to share moments with family members and friends in a variety of scenarios such as at large sporting’s events, concerts, or while travelling. With these increasing demands on data services, operators have been seeking ways to deliver a better user experience, according to Huawei.
Several 4.5G (TDD+) uplink key technologies offer the ultimate advantage for meeting such demands. One of these technologies, namely UDC, can improve uplink capacity by 50% without adding new spectrum. It accomplishes this by reducing the number of bits transmitted in the uplink channel, which has the added effect of reducing interference.
The combination of uplink carrier aggregation and 64QAM can triple uplink speeds compared to single carrier uplink with 16-QAM. Improved uplink transmission rates provide LTE TDD users with the ultimate user experience, with noticeably improved responsiveness from apps such as WeChat, and various other services including video services. In addition, the Huawei-Qualcomm demonstration is the first ever E2E joint demonstration of 4.5G uplink technology. The commercial smartphones used in the demonstration are equipped with two of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, indicating the maturity of the 4.5G (TDD+) ecosystem. 2016 will witness the rapid deployment of 4.5G (TDD+) by operators around the world.
Cooperation on 4.5G (TDD+) involves not only Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies, but also well-known smartphone manufacturers LeMobile and VivO. This extensive cooperation helps accelerates the maturity and development of the 4.5 G (TDD+) industry chain.
As well, the LTE TDD industry could possibly receive a potential additional boost. Recently, a consensus has been reached to have 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz frequency bands become globally supported IMT frequency bands based on the conclusion drawn on the World Radio communication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). It indicates that 3.5 GHz band with 500 MHz bandwidth has become the most important IMT frequency band for sub-6G. It is anticipated that three top operators in Japan will deploy commercial networks operating on the 3.5 GHz band on a large scale. With over 6,000 base stations operating on the 3.5 GHz frequency band being deployed by the end of 2016, all hotspot areas in Japan will be covered by 2017, and the penetration rate will reach more than 50% by 2018. The 3.5GHz industry has been growing rapidly due to its wide bandwidth and mature technologies. Qualcomm Technologies’ recently-announced Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which supports the LTE TDD 3.5 GHz bands, can help drive broader adoption and accelerate the growth of the 3.5GHz ecosystem.
Further cooperation between Huawei and Qualcomm Technologies on LTE TDD technologies is intended to continue to accelerate the maturation and development of the industry. The respective innovations by both companies, based on 4.5G (TDD+) technologies, will help address the problems of the traffic explosion, improve user experience, and enable users to enter the Gigabit Class LTE era.
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