Ericsson and C&W Communications (C&W), have successfully completed a Gigabit LTE trial in Antigua and Barbuda and started testing a pre-5G network, under C&W’s residential brand Flow. C&W is part of the Liberty Global group, one of the world’s largest broadband and internet service providers.

Ericsson’s Gigabit LTE solution was tested in C&W’s live network, where features such as carrier aggregation, 4X4 MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), and higher order modulation (256-QAM) were used to maximize data speeds for wireless broadband subscribers.

According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, video traffic in mobile networks will continue to grow rapidly and account for nearly 75 percent of all mobile data traffic by 2022. Gigabit LTE is a key technology enabling users to enjoy bandwidth-intensive services such as video streaming, and is an important stepping stone to 5G.

John Reid, CEO, C&W Communications

John Reid, CEO, C&W Communications, says: “We are proud that our long-term partnership with Ericsson enables us to offer our customers the best mobile experience. This trial is the next step for us to provide enhanced LTE, and eventually 5G, through an evolved network with the latest technologies across the region. Currently, Flow offers an average of 3 to 5 Mbps fixed wireless services using WiMax technology; with our pre-5G LTE-Advanced services, we will be able to offer services with an average of 30 to 50 Mbps.”

Elie Hanna, President of Ericsson Mexico, Central America and Caribbean, says: “The scope of this trial includes technologies that can handle the forecasted increase in mobile data traffic and be used for fixed wireless access, while ensuring a smooth evolution toward 5G.

LTE networks with advanced technology such as Gigabit Class LTE not only will meet the opportunity for operators to develop and deploy networks that can handle the increase in traffic and deliver subscribers the user experience they expect, but also provide the perfect platform for network evolution toward 5G.”

Ericsson is present in all leading LTE markets including the US, Japan, and South Korea, and is ranked number one for having delivered systems that handle more LTE traffic globally than any other vendor. Forty percent of the world’s total mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks, including 270 LTE Radio Access Networks and Evolved Packet Core networks.