Mobile communications speed breakthrough achieved

• Deutsche Telekom and Huawei accelerate mobile data transfer in Berlin's LTE network to more than 1,2 Gigabit per second (Gbps)
• Technology mix of four sending and receiving channels (4x4MIMO) and five carrier frequencies deployed live for the first time
• LTE Advanced Pro gives customers the highest data speeds

What was previously only possible under laboratory conditions is now available in the wild as of today: Deutsche Telekom and Huawei have breached the one-gigabit speed barrier for mobile data transfers in the LTE network. During a live demonstration in Berlin they succeeded in transmitting data with 1,22 Gbps via mobile radio.

In 2010, DT began paving the way to the gigabit society. Since then, fixed-network customers in particular have increasingly benefited from fast connection speeds. Together with Huawei, Deutsche Telekom has now achieved a breakthrough in Berlin for its mobile customers as well.

"User behavior is evolving rapidly on the way to a gigabit society. That's why fast Internet access can't be limited to just fixed lines and fiber optics – our customers also want the highest possible speeds for maximum comfort on the go as well. As you can see, our network delivers. We are ahead of our time and ahead of the competition," says Claudia Nemat, Deutsche Telekom AG 's Board Member for Europe and Technology.

" Huawei strongly believes in the best user experience as the foundation for the successful future of Deutsche Telekom. Together we innovate for the advanced wireless technology and Huawei is happy to support Deutsche Telekom to prove the benefits of the latest evolutionary step of this technology, LTE Advanced Pro, in real field application", Lin Baifeng, President Huawei Deutsche Telekom Key Account, notes.

The more high-quality video people retrieve on their smartphones, the more data has to be transported through the mobile networks. The same applies to live streams and detail-rich games. These constantly increasing demands are driving the evolution of the LTE wireless technology forward on the way to 5G.

Deutsche Telekom and Huawei used the latest evolutionary step of this technology – LTE Advanced Pro – with a conventional mobile base station, which was bundled with a small cell solution; the data traffic flowed over five carrier frequencies instead of just one. This required one thing above all from both the transmitter station and the receiving devices: they have to support 4x4 MIMO (multiple input – multiple output) technology. If all these components are used, individual users can enjoy peak speeds of more than 1 Gbps. Wireless capacities in the equipped cells are also improved greatly for all users.

The current move by Deutsche Telekom and Huawei represents the next step in a long-term innovation collaboration in the development of mobile communications technologies and the roll-out of Germany's fastest LTE network. In an earlier test last year, the two companies bundled three carrier frequencies in Berlin, reaching speeds of over 340 Megabit per second. They have now beaten this record by far, taking an enormous step toward creating the gigabit society together.