TD-LTE Advanced small cell supports carrier aggregation
Nokia Networks, in partnership with leading global carrier China Mobile, deployed a first-of-its-kind small cell this month for a sports event held in Shanghai.
Nokia’s equipment supported China Mobile’s network for the three-day event. The small cells used support TD-LTE Advanced.
The Flexi Zone small cells supported 600 simultaneous TD-LTE users per cell. The small cells supported more than half of wireless traffic from China Mobile’s approximately 49,000 subscribers at the unidentified event.
The Flexi Zone features cloud-ready network management, Nokia’s Smart Scheduler for network optimization, real-time user monitoring and service delivery experts who helped with planning, configuration and more.
Nokia VP of small cells business line Mark Atkinson said the deployment set a “new landmark in TD-LTE.”
“We have also bettered our own record achieved at the world’s first live TD-LTE network deployed for China Mobile at the same event in 2014,” he said. “The incredible performance substantiates the capabilities of our small cell portfolio in helping operators overcome obstacles posed by data traffic at mass events as they deliver memorable moments to subscribers.”
Bu Tong, China Mobile’s GM of the network department, said TD-LTE advancements “are driven by our vision to leverage future-ready technology for offering an unmatched service experience, despite challenges posed by the ever-increasing load on our network.”
Tong continued: “Nokia Networks has further consolidated its position as one of the most-trusted partners by achieving yet another global landmark and enabling us to deliver a truly rewarding mobile broadband experience at this high-octane sports event.”
TD-LTE is China’s version of LTE, and TD-LTE devices are proliferating rapidly as Chinese carriers upgrade their networks. During the past year, the number of TD-LTE smartphones rose 763% to 544, according to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association.
Last year Nokia Networks said China Mobile will spend $970 million on Nokia’s equipment, software and services this year and next.
This contract news puts some numbers on Nokia’s previous announcement of its China Mobile win. Last fall the infrastructure provider said it had won more of China Mobile’s LTE business than any other non-Chinese vendor. Nokia said that all foreign vendors won 11% of China Mobile’s contracts, but that it had won a bit more by supplying resellers.
China Mobile is the largest carrier in the world by subscribers and one of three state-sanctioned mobile carriers in China.
