Case Study: TPG Telecom achieves higher 5G data rates and extended coverage with Nokia 5G Carrier Aggregation

TPG Telecom pioneers Carrier Aggregation in 5G Standalone

TPG Telecom, one of Australia's largest telecommunications providers, aimed to pioneer a market-leading 5G Standalone (SA) network to realize 5G's full potential, including low latency, high reliability, and expanded coverage. A key challenge was ensuring subscribers with compatible devices would have a superior user experience by optimizing the operator's spectrum assets, which included a high-capacity 3.6 GHz band and a coverage-focused 700 MHz band. To address this, they partnered with vendor Nokia and leveraged its 5G Carrier Aggregation technology.

Nokia implemented its 5G Carrier Aggregation solution, a software feature of its AirScale baseband, to combine TPG Telecom's 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz spectrum bands. This provided a robust uplink channel from the low band and high data rates from the mid band. The solution resulted in up to 50% higher 5G data rates compared to using a single mid-band carrier and significantly extended the useful coverage range. Nokia's technology enabled TPG Telecom to deliver a seamless user experience with consistently high data rates from the center to the edge of cell coverage.

TPG Telecom

David Yeo

General Manager of Wireless Access Network