Verizon has launched the LTE Advanced network, which will provide the carrier's subscribers with up to 50 percent faster peak speeds across 461 cities in the United States.
Access to LTE Advanced comes at no additional cost to Verizon customers, and they can begin enjoying the perks of the network as long as their smartphone is one of the supported devices and is on the latest version of its software.
In a video posted on the official page of LTE Advanced in Verizon's website, the connection speed of a device on the Verizon LTE Advanced network is shown to be almost three times that of a device on the regular Verizon LTE network.
LTE Advanced combines multiple channels to send mobile data to customers faster, using a technique known as carrier aggregation. Verizon owns several spectrum bands, and the devices of the carrier's subscribers normally only use the strongest signal. However, with carrier aggregation, Verizon will send customers mobile data on two or three channels at the same time, increasing the speed that users can enjoy.
Under optimal conditions, aggregation on two channels can reach peak speeds of 225 Mbps while aggregation on three channels can reach peak speeds of 300 Mbps. That speed is much faster compared with most home broadband services.
With the launch of LTE Advanced, Verizon becomes the first carrier to do a large-scale release of three-channel aggregation. AT&T and Sprint have already been using two-channel aggregation, with Sprint calling it LTE Plus.
Sprint and T-Mobile have both been working on three-channel aggregation, but Verizon has beaten them to the punch in launching the feature. When Sprint launched the Unlimited Freedom plan in response to the T-Mobile One, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said that the company's biggest asset is its spectrum, as it owns the most unused spectrum among all carriers. The spectrum will allow Sprint to accommodate the extra load generated by its unlimited data plan, and it would also be crucial in its three-channel aggregation once it launches.
Here is a list of devices that are capable of enjoying the LTE Advanced network:
Apple
iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 5 SE, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4
Asus
Zenpad Z8
Blackberry
BlackBerry PRIV
HTC
HTC 10, Desire 626, One M9
LG
LG V10, LG G4, LG G5
Motorola
Motorola Nexus 6, Moto X, Moto Z Force Droid, Moto Z Droid, Droid Turbo 2, Droid Turbo
Netgear
MHS AC791L
Novatel
MiFi i6620L, MiFi USB620L
Samsung
Galaxy S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy View, Galaxy Tab S2, Galaxy Tab E 8.0, Galaxy Note 7
Sony
Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z2 Tablet
