Ericsson and T-Mobile pioneering superior LTE network capabilities in readiness for 5G deployments

Ericsson and T-Mobile US have worked together on a network evolution plan and optimisation path to continue to provide a superior user experience.

The companies will continue to maximise 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.

"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," said Neville Ray, CTO, T-Mobile.

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.

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.