Sprint Reaches 300 Mbps Speeds Using Samsung’s Galaxy S7

Sprint has revealed that it has managed to reach speeds of over 300 mbps using Samsung’s newest flagship device, the Galaxy S7, which is one of the first smartphones currently made available in the market that comes with support for the mobile service provider’s three channel carrier aggregation network technology.

For those not familiar with the concept of three channel carrier aggregation, it is a feature of LTE-Advanced that allows network operators to make use of more than one band of spectrum in order to establish wider channels, and in the process, provide boosted network capacity and higher network speeds on mobile devices that have support for this type of wireless technology. 

As of now, Sprint currently makes full use of two channel aggregation over 40 MegaHertz of spectrum on a limited number of 2.5 GigaHertz cellular sites. By doing so, the fourth biggest wireless carrier in the United States is able to achieve maximum network speeds of over 100 mbps in at least 150 LTE Plus markets in the country.

Eventually, Sprint is planning to employ 60 MegaHertz of spectrum as soon as it rolls out its three channel carrier aggregation to its customers. The wireless carrier has stated in more than one occasion that it is looking to leverage its high band 2.5 GigaHertz spectrum in the process of fully transitioning to 5G wireless technology.

As explained by John Saw, the chief technical officer of Sprint, the wireless carrier’s high band 2.5 GigaHertz spectrum is ideal for transmitting vast volumes of data at very high network speeds. Even though its 60 MegaHertz of spectrum is already capable of providing very fast network speeds, Sprint is still looking to boost its capacity. With over 160 MegaHertz of 2.6 GigaHertz spectrum in the top 100 mobile markets in America, Sprint has a claim to being the wireless carrier with the most network capacity in the nation.

Over the last few years, Sprint has taken some flak for its limitations when it comes to network capacity. But it is clearly making an effort to change all that. By focusing on small cells, the wireless carrier is hoping to optimize its spectrum, and at the same time, minimize its network buildout expenses. There are rumors circulating lately that SoftBank (Sprint’s Japan based parent company) may join in the upcoming incentive auction of television broadcasters’ 600 MegaHertz spectrum conducted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If this turns out to be true, Sprint should find itself in a good position to further improve its spectrum holdings.