10 Mar Telstra Unveils 4G LTE Category 6 Device Capable Of 300Mbps Download Speed
Telstra and Huawei will be launching the world’s first LTE-Advanced category six mobile broadband device in Australia, capable of a theoretical maximum download speed of 300Mbps.
The device, named the Advanced Pro x, is a battery powered 4G Wi-Fi hotspot that uses LTE- Advanced carrier aggregation to offer high theoretical speeds. Carrier aggregation allows Telstra to combine the bandwidth from the 700MHz and 1800MHz bands in Australia, which Telstra claim will offer a significant increase in peak downlink speeds and capacity.
While this device has been developed to take advantage of both the 1800MHz and 700MHz spectrum bands, the 700MHz spectrum is set to launch only in early 2015, meaning the device will operate on the 1800MHz only when the device is available within the next two months. Until the 700MHz spectrum has been launched, the device will only be capable of download speeds of up to 150Mbps.
Telstra’s Networks executive director Mike Wright said the telco is currently working through investment plans to determine when the 700Mhz network will be consumer ready but no date has yet been set:
In addition to the Advanced Pro X, Telstra have secured four other 4G enabled devices, including two smartphones and two WiFi dongles.These devices are also expected to be capable of download speeds up to 300Mbps, however, like the Advanced Pro X will not be able to make use of the 700MHz until it has been launched.
In terms of specs, the Advanced Pro X has a battery life of up to ten hours and can connect up to ten devices through Wi-Fi. It supports USB 3.0 and displays data usage on its screen. The hotspot also gives users the ability to charge their smartphones using the “reverse charging” feature.
Peter Rossi, Huawei Australia chief technology officer stated that “LTE Category 6 with Carrier Aggregation has the potential to offer incredible download speeds to mobile broadband users, and the huge battery in the Telstra Wi-Fi 4G Advanced Pro X will allow users to keep more of their WiFi devices connected for longer” (source: Arnnet).
The Advanced Pro X, as well as the two 4G enabled smartphones (one from Samsung and one from HTC) and two 4G enabled WiFi dongles (from Netgear and ZTE) are expected to be available within two months.
For more information on availability and pricing stay tuned!