3 Hong Kong has revealed plans to launch FDD-TDD LTE-Advanced in early 2016 after demonstrating the technology on its live network.
The operator used equipment supplied by Huawei to aggregate an FDD carrier in either of the 1800 MHz or 2.6 GHz bands with a TDD carrier in the 2.3 GHz band. 3 Hong Kong also used terminals equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X12 LTE processor.
"CA (carrier aggregation) technology enables us to fully utilise valuable spectrum resources and devise long-term plans on network deployment so that we can continue to improve the outstanding data services we offer our customers," said Peter Wong, CEO of 3 Hong Kong parent Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong Holdings (HTHKH), in a statement on Monday.
3 Hong Kong already offers FDD LTE-A using its 1800-MHz and 2.6-GHz spectrum, and is in the midst of deploying TD-LTE with a view to launching later this year.
The company said it expects devices that can support hybrid FDD-TDD LTE-A to be available early next year "and 3 Hong Kong is expected to launch the respective network around that time."
"FDD and TDD networks complement each other and their integration significantly improves both network capacity and coverage," said Ryan Ding, president of products and solutions at Huawei. "Huawei will continue to work closely with 3 Hong Kong to provide a better user experience through its advanced solutions."
3 Hong Kong also revealed it plans to commercially launch tri-carrier LTE-A in the second half of 2016, and is working to aggregate no fewer than five carriers by refarming its 900-MHz and 2.1-GHz spectrum.
"We are striving to provide customers with an all-round mobile communication experience with ever smoother and more stable LTE service," said Wong.
