Nokia and Zain Saudi Arabia have completed the Middle East's first trial of LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U), combining unlicensed spectrum in the 5 GHz frequency band with 1800 MHz spectrum, to deliver a downlink speed of 223 Mbps. The service will be deployed in hotspots in places such as malls and cafes in Jeddah and around the Holy Mosque in Makkah.
LTE-U combines traditional 4G with LTE in unlicensed 5 GHz spectrum to enable service providers to improve service quality without significantly increasing their spectrum expenses. The trial and deployment is based on Nokia Flexi Zone Multiband Small Cells, which allow service providers to aggregate spectrum from both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands, efficiently increasing capability and service reliability.
