Qualcomm, EE and Sony have showcased Europe’s first Gigabit LTE/4G mobile device and network.
Gigabit LTE is used to improve the speed and consistency of downloads around the world, which includes secluded areas where fast speed and higher network capacity are also delivered.
Network provider, EE has now become the first European operator to offer Gigabit LTE as its new 4G technology has been designed to deliver live upload speeds of 110Mbps and download speeds of 750Mbps.
According to Qualcomm, this is more than twice as fast as the UK’s current fastest commercial fibre broadband offering.
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Roberto Di Pietro, VP of business development, Qualcomm said: “We are proud to support the development of commercial Gigabit LTE in Europe in conjunction with EE and Sony Mobile, enabled by the Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform.
“Gigabit LTE is not simply about headline data download speeds, it’s about bringing real-life benefits to the everyday user, regardless of the device they are using right now and forms the first major step towards 5G.”
Gigabit LTE is currently only featured on Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium, using EE’s network at speeds of up to 428Mbps that were previously demonstrated at Cardiff City Centre when the smartphone launched.
Its addition of Gigabit LTE enables users to stream and watch high quality content in 4K HDR resolution. Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the first smartphone to offer 4K HDR display resolution.
Tom Bennett, Director of network services and devices, EE said: “Peak speeds get all the headlines, and their importance is simple: the higher the peak speed on our network, the better the average speed for every customer. And better average throughput means customers are doing more and getting their content more quickly and more consistently- and that means they’re happier.”
EE was already marked as the first UK network to support ‘Cat 9’ mobile devices in September 2016. Cat 9 (Category 9) refers to the mobile capabilities different networks have to offer and the higher the number, the faster the upload and download speeds that are delivered.
All devices that feature Cat 4 and above support fast LTE networks using 4G and 5G systems. EE is continuing to push forward to remain in leadership by being the first to embed ‘Cat 16’ mobile devices with Gigabit LTE, which is the company’s latest offering of even faster upload and download speed.
Bennett said: “We will keep investing to stay at the cutting edge of network and device technology so that our customers keep getting the best possible network experience. Working with the best technology companies across the mobile industry is vital to that.”
