Telefonica is launching 4×4 MIMO, 3x Carrier Aggregation (CA), 256-QAM and CloudAIR  into its networks in Bogota, Monterrey and Rio de Janeiro as part of its 4.5G network strategy.

Telefonica’s engineers to aim achieve downlink peak throughput up to 1Gbps in commercial network to meet smartphone user demands for higher speed and better experience from their data network operators.

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Huawei will assist Telefonica, a leading telecom operator, to assess 4.5G network technology in the next few months within these selected cities. Telefonica may consider 4.5G network in other countries in 2018.

“4.5G Evolution is a key step on the road to 5G,” Juan Carlos Garcia, Technology and Architecture Global Director at Telefonica, said.

Telefonica and Huawei implemented in Germany a 4.5G high-speed mobile radio network as part of their joint TechCity project, achieving data rates of up to 1.65 GBit/s under laboratory conditions.

Telefonica and Huawei have also set up a 4.5G pilot network in Munich for the field tests – aiming for services such as HD video, WTTx, cellular IoT, critical communications as well as other new mobile services.