Sprint today said it has debuted gigabit-class LTE in New Orleans.
The gigabit LTE requires 3-channel carrier aggregation using 60 MHz of Sprint’s 2.5 GHz spectrum (Band 41) with 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM modulation. This is what delivers Category 16 LTE download speeds via TDD-LTE. Sprint showcased the technology in New Orleans on an unannounced flagship smartphone from Motorola that uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and Snapdragon X16 modem.
Sprint plans to rely on its 2.5 GHz spectrum to add capacity and speed to its network around the country. The rollout of gigabit class LTE goes further than what Sprint’s LTE Plus service already delivers (which reaches 100Mbps downloads).
The gigabit LTE requires a series of incremental upgrades, says Sprint, that rely on the Cat 16 modem, 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM. Sprint later plans to use massive MIMO and HPUE to boost performance at the cell edge, eventually pushing speeds beyond 1 Gbps.
Sprint and Motorola did not say when the yet-to-be-named gigabit class LTE handset will be made available to consumers. The Snapdragon 835 processor and X16 modem aren’t expected to be available in volume until April.
