Gigabit LTE Networks: Analysis of Deployments Worldwide

GSA confirms 306 operators in 130 countries are investing in at least one of the three key Gigabit LTE component technologies (4×4 MIMO or above, carrier aggregation or 256QAM DL).

Drawing on information collected by GSA about operator deployments of LTE-Advanced features for its comprehensive database on operator networks, technologies and spectrum (NTS), this report identifies operators investing at a technology level in Gigabit LTE (defined as carrier aggregation plus 4×4 MIMO (or above) plus 256QAM DL). Note that ‘4×4 MIMO or above’ includes 4×4 MIMO and all higher-order MIMO technologies such as 8T8R MIMO and Massive MIMO.

• 306 operators in 130 countries are investing in at least one of the three key Gigabit LTE component technologies.
• A hundred operators in 59 countries are investing in all three key Gigabit LTE component technologies.
• Fifty-one operators in 35 countries have deployed all three technologies.
• Twenty-six have announced Gigabit (or very near at 979 Mbps) peak theoretical throughput in the downlink in their deployed/commercial networks.
• Over 10% of all launched LTE-Advanced networks can support UE Cat-16 peak theoretical DL speeds or above.
• Seven operators have pockets of network capable of delivering the maximum DL speeds supported by Cat-18 devices (i.e. peak theoretical throughput of up to 1.2 Gbps).

We expect many other networks to achieve Gigabit speeds very soon, as they refarm or acquire new spectrum resources, invest in higher orders of MIMO technology and implement new carrier aggregation combinations. Operators are still investing in improving their LTE networks, even as they prepare to deploy 5G technologies.

This report will be updated next in May 2019.

©2019 GSA

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