Sprint Demonstrates What's Next for LTE Plus with Three-Channel Carrier Aggregation Reaching 295 Mbps on HTC 10

Sprint continues device testing in preparation for LTE Plus network deployment

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), August 12, 2016 - Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced it reached peak speeds of 295 Mbps in three-channel carrier aggregation lab tests using the HTC 10, one of the first devices on the market to support the functionality. Sprint is testing three-channel carrier aggregation in its labs to evaluate overall performance, speed, and reliability as it prepares for LTE Plus network deployment.

Carrier aggregation is an LTE-Advanced feature that bonds together bands of spectrum to create wider channels and produce more capacity and faster speeds on capable devices. Essentially it creates a wider lane that allows more data traffic to travel at higher rates.

Today Sprint offers 22 devices that actively support two-channel carrier aggregation on its super-fast LTE Plus network. In its labs in March, Sprint demonstrated speeds of more than 300 Mbps using three-channel carrier aggregation on a Samsung Galaxy S7. Five devices currently offered by Sprint are three-channel carrier aggregation capable: the HTC 10, HTC 9, LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Three-channel carrier aggregation is slated for enablement on devices via an automatic software update following network deployment.

Sprint LTE coverage reaches approximately 300 million people – more than 90 percent of the U.S. population. Two-channel carrier aggregation used by Sprint today delivers peak speeds of more than 100 Mbps in 237 LTE Plus markets across the country using 40MHz of spectrum on the company’s 2.5GHz cell sites. With three-channel carrier aggregation Sprint will utilize 60MHz of spectrum to provide peak speeds of more than 200 Mbps on compatible devices.

“LTE Plus uses some of the most advanced technologies in wireless such as carrier aggregation and it’s a key part of our Densification and Optimization strategy,” said Günther Ottendorfer, Sprint COO, Technology. “With LTE Plus we’ll keep delivering the best mobile services for our customers with higher throughput and capacity using very cost-efficient solutions.”

Sprint’s LTE Plus network expansion and the use of carrier aggregation have driven significant improvements in download speeds nationwide, as recognized by its millions of customers and third-party organizations. For example, PC Magazine’s 2016 Fastest Mobile Networks report recently found that Sprint showed “spectacular” peak download speeds nationwide, and Sprint beat T-Mobile and AT&T in average download speeds.

“Two-channel carrier aggregation has made a significant difference for our customers in LTE Plus markets across the country and that’s just the beginning,” said Dr. John Saw, Sprint CTO. “With holdings of more than 160MHz of 2.5GHz spectrum in the top 100 U.S. markets, we have more capacity than any other carrier in the U.S. Our customers and those switching to Sprint can be confident in our ability to meet their demand for data now and well into the future.”