Nokia Steps Up Its TD-LTE Speeds to Bridge the Gap to 5G

For mobile device users, the coming of commercial 5G access is a lot like a small child waiting for Christmas morning. It seems like it's far off, it feels the same way, even if objectively it's just around the corner. With three and a half years projected between now for 5G, however, it's clear that some modifications need to be made between here and there. Nokia (News - Alert) recently showed off its new TD-LTE line of services that should add more speed and capability to current operations and narrow the gap between now and 5G’s roll out. .

Nokia brought the systems to Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) Shanghai, letting users see not only TD-LTE-Advanced (TD-LTE-A) but also TD-LTE-A Pro, a pair of connectivity powerhouses. Nokia had a complete demonstration—itself regarded as an industry first—showing how those using 4G TD-LTE (News - Alert) can take currently-operational Wi-Fi access points to bring out an even better experience. With a TD-LTE-A Pro LTE-Wi-Fi Aggregation (LWA) feature as part of Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base stations, the combined LTE and Wi-Fi networks can deliver some impressive speeds, clearing 400 Mbps.

What's more, Nokia FastMile was also showcased as an interim step for generally underserved areas both rural and suburban. With FastMile, 4G technology can step in and take advantage of currently-unused spectrum to provide better remote access. Speeds are guaranteed and devices to put the system to work comparatively easy to install. Plus, Nokia demonstrated Distributed Beamforming systems, allowing users to triple download and upload alike for a standard Nokia TD-LTE-A “Supercell” system. A Distributed Beamforming system removes issues of inter-cell interference and thus improves the overall system's access.

The head of the LTE Business Line at Nokia, Tero Peltola, commented “As global subscriber data demand continues to rise, Nokia is committed to developing technologies that will help operators efficiently unlock the potential of their 4G networks, enabling greater connectivity while reducing the cost of ownership of running those networks as well as power consumption.”

Improving connectivity is vital to the overall state of the nation, and the world beyond. The more people who can get online, the more people can contribute to its operations, whether buying, selling, creating, or doing anything else therein. These things require proper bandwidth to carry out, however, and that means that Internet service providers—be they wireless or line-based—need to step in and improve connectivity. With 5G coming soon, that could be just the thing to get all that connectivity where it needs to go, but with three and a half years in between, we need some intermediary improvements. Nokia's line of solutions provides a much needed bridge to the 5G future.