Carrier Aggregation is a foundational feature of LTE Advanced that will transform mobile connectivity into the information superhighway that 4G was meant to be. Until today, most operators’ 4G data services were carried over relatively narrow radio channels (e.g., 10 MHz or less). While today’s LTE mobile devices support several LTE radio channels they can only download on one radio channel at a time—think of it as limiting all automobile traffic in an area to separate single lane roads. With the LTE Carrier Aggregation feature in Snapdragon™ 800 processors, a smartphone can now download simultaneously on two LTE radio channels to effectively double 4G data speeds; or, using the automobile traffic analogy, cars can use multi-lane highways. So, using Carrier Aggregation, operators are constructing “multi-lane super highways” that can now take full advantage of the full data speeds of LTE.

What does that mean for you? If you’re a GALAXY S4 LTE-A owner, it means  blazing- fast 4G download speeds and network response time in addition to the long battery life associated with Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors. If you’re an operator, you’ll be able to aggregate spectrum in the same band or in different bands to increase both peak and average data rates for your subscribers. If you’re a device manufacturer, you can launch sleeker devices sooner while offering differentiated applications to device owners by using carrier aggregation-capable chipsets from Qualcomm Technologies.

Carrier aggregation is the way forward for the evolution from LTE to LTE Advanced and Qualcomm Technologies is at the forefront of making this technology a reality. I look forward to seeing, and experiencing the many new possibilities that the wireless ecosystem develops to fully experience the LTE-A breakthrough.