Orange and Ericon have succefully completed the worlds first live LTE-Advanced FDD trial in the .4 - .6 GHz band in Bordeaux

Orange and Ericsson have successfully used the 3.4-3.6 GHz (3.5 GHz) frequencies for testing data speeds, coverage and FDD carrier aggregation. This live LTE-Advanced FDD trial, which was authorized by the French regulator ARCEP, was carried out in October-November 2014 on Oranges network in Bordeaux using Ericssons pre-commercial equipment.

The first phase of the trial was performed at the Orange Labs in Paris. In this trial, speeds of 300 Mbps were achieved by using the 3.5 GHz band in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band, thereby confirming the potential of 3.5 GHz FDD technology to increase mobile broadband capacity. The second phase was carried out on Oranges live mobile network and was based on Ericssons pre-commercial FDD 3.5 GHz radio base station equipment.

For the trial, new antennas supporting the 3.5 GHz band were installed at the Le Ponant and Meriadeck sites in the city center of Bordeaux. A range of streaming-based services were tested allowing the team to continuously monitor network performance between the base station and the mobile prototype throughout the live trial. The data throughputs acquired during the tests were measured, both before and after carrier aggregation of the two bands. A peak performance of 150 Mbps at a distance of up to 700 meters was achieved in the 3.5 GHz band when used alone, and speeds of 300 Mbps was attained when used in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band.

3.5 GHz suitable for the deployment of macro-cells in FDD mode in cities

This live FDD trial demonstrated that the 3.5 GHz band can be successfully used in urban and suburban environments in stand-alone mode or in aggregation with another band to provide advanced mobile broadband services using a FDD access scheme for high peak data rate applications to enhance user experience, said Alain Maloberti, Senior Vice President, Orange Labs Networks.

This project has provided an opportunity to gather essential experience on the ways future multi-frequency networks could be optimized from cost and performance perspectives. One of the most rewarding results of the trial is the confirmation that the existing network grid can be reused for a 3.5 GHz macro grid; in Bordeaux, the trials used the same grid as for the 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.

This live FDD trial also demonstrated that the macro coverage of 3.5 GHz spectrum is suitable for providing substantial capacity gains that can satisfy future consumer needs said Thomas Noren, Vice President, Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson.

The successful trials results re-confirm that the FDD access scheme is a promising solution for the 3.5GHz band to provide mobile operators additional capacity for advanced services and applications in Europe.

About Orange

Orange is one of the worlds leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2013 and 159,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2014, including 99,800 employees in France. Present in 30 countries, the Group has a total customer base of 240 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2014, including 182 million mobile customers and 16 million fixed broadband customers. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.

Orange is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.livetv.orange.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure - especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud - are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With more than 110,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the worlds mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions - and our customers - stay in front.

Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2013 were SEK 227.4 billion (USD 34.9 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.

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LINK:	http://www.ericsson.com/uk/thecompany/press/releases/2014/12/1880227...
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