Vodafone 4G Gets Faster With LTE-A Launch In London, Birmingham and Manchester

Vodafone is to boost speeds on its 4G network using carrier aggregation technology, also known as LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), to combine its 800MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum.

The operator says that LTE-A can offer up to three times the speed of current 4G services using the 800MHz band only, with capacity and indoor performance improved significantly.

Vodafone LTE-A

The 800MHz band has greater range but less capacity, making it ideal for indoor coverage and rural areas, while the 2.6GHz band has much greater capacity and is suited for high density towns and cities.

“This clever technology is the next big step to deliver faster speeds per user and to increase the capacity so more customers can enjoy a great 4G experience when and where they want it,” says Fergal Kelly, Vodafone technology director.

LTE-A, which Vodafone is dubbing ‘4.5G’, will be available in Birmingham, London and Manchester later this month, with other locations added later in the year and early 2015. Users will need a compatible handset however, but given that many smartphones support both 800MHz and 2.6GHz, customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of each band straight away.

EE also has plans for LTE-A using its 1.8GHz and 2.6Hz spectrum, but has yet to launch commercially, although it does have plans for 400Mbps 4G at Wembley Stadium, although it is unclear when customers will benefit from this as no current devices support the technology.

Vodafone has also announced its customers will be able to roam on 4G in 23 countries, with the service launching in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal earlier this year.

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