[Brasilia, Brazil, June 26, 2017] Recently, Claro Brazil launched the commercial 4.5G (4x4 MIMO+ Massive CA+256QAM) network in Brasilia in partnership with Huawei. The 4.5G network is the first intended for commercial use in Brazil, as well as is expected the largest in the Latin America Region.

Claro demonstrated the impressive 4.5G data rates achievable at the release ceremony. After accessing the network, smartphones could experience an average rate of 250 Mbps — 10 times the average rate measured on the 4G network.

In the near future, as smartphones supporting both 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM reach the market, users will be able to benefit from the enhanced capabilities of the 4.5G network. On the network side, everything is ready to speed up mobile internet access on Brazil´s federal capital, bringing fiber speeds to the mobile environment.

Claro announced its latest tariff policy at the release ceremony, which features increased data allowances for existing tariff packages. This policy is designed to encourage customers to experience the high data rates offered by the 4.5G network.

Paulo César Teixeira, CEO of Claro, said,

"Claro has always been a front-runner in Brazil's mobile communications market. The commercial release of the 4.5G network, with 4x4 MIMO, carrier aggregation, 700Mhz spectrum activation and advanced modulation, will help Brazilian communications industry to play a significant role in the worldwide arena, as the country is one of the pioneers in this technology. The newly designed packages allow our subscribers to talk and consume more traffic for a flat and attractive price. Claro will make the best use of the recently acquired 700 MHz frequency band as a part of our ongoing effort to build a top-quality, next-gen mobile network nationwide."

Yao Wei, CEO of Huawei's Brazil Rep Office, said,

"Claro's 4.5G 4x4 MIMO network will significantly improve user experience. Huawei is honored to be a part of the construction of this network with Claro to deliver an outstanding service for Brazilian consumers. 4x4 MIMO is a key technology in the evolution of existing 4G networks towards 5G, and is due to be rolled out on an increasing number of networks in Brazil. Huawei will continue to introduce cutting-edge technologies to Claro's networks to bring the best possible in mobile services to the country."

4.5G Evolution helps global operators enhance their businesses by introducing 5G technologies into existing 4G networks. Operators can trial 5G-like services quickly and develop the new business models that 5G will support. 4.5G Evolution will improve the operators’ businesses today while keeping them on the road to a successful transition to 5G tomorrow. 4.5G Evolution, the Road to 5G!