Sprint adopts HPUE to improve 2.5 GHz band coverage

Sprint announced a new technique to optimise performance on its 2.5 GHz spectrum. The High Performance User Equipment (HPUE) is expected to give Sprint customers better coverage and faster data speeds in more locations. At an event in New York City, Sprint showed how the technology can extend its 2.5 GHz coverage by up to 30 percent to nearly match its mid-band 1.9 GHz spectrum performance, including indoors. 

Certified by 3GPP earlier this month, HPUE is a new power class – Power Class 2 – for end-user devices such as smartphones, and is designed to improve the performance of TDD-LTE Band 41 networks around the world. Sprint co-led the development of HPUE in conjunction with the Global TDD LTE Initiative (GTI) and companies such as China Mobile, SoftBank, Qualcomm, Samsung, ZTE, Broadcom, MediaTek, Skyworks Solutions, Alcatel, Motorola, LG and Qorvo. China Mobile said it tested the technology with Sprint and will support its further deployment. 

Sprint said its network is ready for the initial roll-out of HPUE, including in its 250 LTE Plus markets. Samsung, one of Sprint’s suppliers, is expected to support HPUE in devices slated for commercial launch in 2017. Sprint has more than 160 MHz of 2.5 GHz spectrum in the top 100 US markets and is rolling out tri-carrier aggregation at the sites.