CSL switches on Hong Kong's first LTE advanced 300Mbps network

Mobile World Congress 2014 - CSL, the first operator to launch dual band 4G LTE/DC-HSPA+ network in Asia, today joins hands with ZTE to announce the deployment of first LTE Advanced 300Mbps (1) cell site in a commercial network, at the Mobile World Congress 2014, Barcelona.

CSL is also collaborating with Qualcomm and ZTE on testing a new LTE Advanced CAT6 modem using the Qualcomm Gobi 9x35 chipset, which is expected to be available commercially by the second half of this year.

This is an important milestone in the evolution of LTE and the mobile industry since it signals the initial roll-out of LTE Advanced 300Mbps on the CSL commercial network, which will continue throughout the year and beyond.

CSL has combined its existing licensed 20MHz LTE carrier at 2 600MHz with another licensed 20MHz LTE carrier at 1 800MHz, to achieve a maximum theoretical speed of 300Mbps. ZTE's industry-leading carrier aggregation (CA) technology helps CSL leverage its unmatched spectrum to deliver game-changing 4G connectivity for consumers and corporations in Hong Kong.

CSL is the only operator in Hong Kong today with sufficient FD-LTE spectrum to achieve the optimal theoretical speed of 300Mbps with LTE-A.

Phil Mottram, Chief Executive Officer of CSL, said: "Our focus is to always deliver the best network experience in Hong Kong to ensure that we are leading the way to greater speeds, stability and coverage for our customers by building out the network capacity and leading-edge 4G LTE capabilities. Hong Kong broadband networks are among the fastest in the world, and therefore Hong Kong customers are accustomed to the highest speeds and are demanding even more. We are creating a future-ready network for Hong Kong, a network that will support the growing data needs of business and consumers in this highly mobile city."

Christian Daigneault, Chief Technology Officer of CSL, noted: "The activation of LTE Advanced at 300Mbps in our network can be done quickly since we already have deployed dual-band LTE Software Definable Radio (SDR) hardware at both 1 800MHz and 2 600MHz at our cell sites, and the upgrade requires a software change in most cases. This makes us one step closer to the introduction of full commercial service in the second half of 2014 when devices are expected to be available.

"ZTE is pleased to support CSL in bringing next-generation mobile services to customers in Hong Kong," said Zhang Renjun, Senior Vice-President of ZTE Corporation. "The deployment of CA technology greatly strengthens CSL's position as Hong Kong's leading operator."

"We're pleased to be working with CSL inHong Kongto deliver customers a significantly faster and better mobile user experience," said Alex Katouzian, senior vice-president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. "Qualcomm Technologies' fourth-generation 3G/LTE multimode modem, the Gobi 9x35 chipset, is the first to offer Category 6 download speeds up to 300Mbps, while also offering improved power efficiency and requiring less printed circuit board area than previous generations."

In 2014, CSL will continue its commitment in providing the best mobile network services in Hong Kong, and LTE-A300 is only one of the technology initiatives CSL will be rolling out this year. After announcing the network launch of Voice over LTE in December 2013 in its network, CSL also intends to proceed with full commercial launch in the first half of 2014 when device and service are mature.