UK mobile network operator EE has announced it has successfully performed ultrafast 400Mbps 4G LTE trials at Wembley Stadium, in collaboration with Huawei and Qualcomm.
The trio achieved the high download speeds by aggregating three different EE spectrum bands – 800MHz, 1800MHz, and 2.6GHz to achieve 400Mbps speeds to a single device, using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor. A number of screens were installed at the event held at Wembley to showcase the services delivered over the high-speed network including 4k streaming and HD audio.
EE said the 4G LTE, or LTE category 9 wireless network, which offers smartphone download speeds of up to 150Mbps, will be rolled out to event-goers at Wembley starting late March. The ‘4G+’ network will be commercially available in the UK when the faster service rolls out in 2016.
“We have established ourselves as the most advanced and innovative network in Europe, and we will continue to stay ahead of the curve, in terms of both speed and capacity,” said Fotis Karonis, CTO at EE.
“Smarter devices with more data intensive video and audio demands are launching all the time, and it’s trials like these at Wembley Stadium that allow us to ensure EE customers continue to get the very best experiences from their mobile network now and in the future. This is a showcase of what a truly amazing 4G network can do, and is a big step in our ambition to make Wembley Stadium the most connected stadium in the world.”
Mohamed Madkour, Vice President Marketing, Huawei Wireless Network Product Line, said “We are thrilled to see the innovative technology of LTE-Advanced coming to reality in a place like Wembley Stadium where a speed-hungry application like 4K video streaming is much needed by many simultaneous users.
“Huawei’s collaboration with EE and Qualcomm Technologies has allowed all three companies to showcase what is made possible through LTE-Advanced.”
Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president & president of Qualcomm Europe, said “Category 9 LTE-A delivers increased capacity across networks and incredibly fast download speeds, providing consumers with dramatically improved mobile connectivity and richer experiences that they are increasingly seeking, such as 4K.”
“Qualcomm Technologies’ leading modem technology enables advancements in these areas and we’re proud to collaborate with Huawei and EE to demonstrate the future of connectivity.”
EE anticipates that it will bring 20 UK cities under 4G+ coverage by 2017 as it plans to invest £1.5bn in its network over the next three years.
