In late 2016, Qualcomm Engineering Service Group (ESG) has worked with AIS to conduct testing of 256-QAM on the downlink and 64-QAM on the uplink on AIS' network. Test results showed that the mobile internet downlink rates increased by approximately 30% and the mobile internet uplink rates increased by approximately 50% for both drive tests and stationary tests. A significant enhancement in throughput was also observed in the uplink with 2x carrier aggregation (UL 2xCA) while delivering the content from the device back to the cloud.
The latest collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies and AIS focuses on the most innovative features in LTE-A for AIS' LTE-A networks on the downlink. This includes downlink 3x carrier aggregation (DL 3xCA) which delivers higher data rates and improved capacity, and 4x4 MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) to support downloading data on four antennas simultaneously for lightning-fast connections, quicker network response times, and richer app content. Based on the field test results, DL 3xCA produced gains proportional to the added spectrum bandwidth, and 4x4 MIMO devices would benefit with up to a 50% additional gain.
With LTE-A, Qualcomm Technologies is committed to evolving 4G LTE to deliver unprecedented data rates, higher capacity, and new levels of user experience for mobile broadband with its Qualcomm® Snapdragon ™ LTE modem solutions. With its enhanced network capabilities, AIS aims to maintain its leadership position in the Thai market by offering consumers and business users increased performance for its 4G mobile broadband services that incorporate LTE-A.
"We are very pleased to join hands again with our longstanding partner – Thailand's leading mobile operator, AIS – to take its network to the next level of performance," said Suwit Pruckwattananon,Country Manager, Thailand & Myanmar, Qualcomm. "With 4G adoption ready to become more widespread in the Thai market, we want to ensure that customers are experiencing the best that AIS' network has to offer. Qualcomm Technologies continues to lead the evolution of LTE-A with new innovations that deliver a faster, enhanced mobile broadband experience, as well as solutions to efficiently meet the explosion in mobile data traffic."
"With AIS 4G covering 98% of Thailand, our focus this year is on maximizing the performance of our mobile network to bring the best connection speeds and capacity to our consumers. At AIS, we recognize that having a good mobile device is as important as having a reliable mobile network and for this reason, we work closely with some of the industry's leading technology partners to run performance tests for devices before launch." Kriengsak Wanichnatee, AIS Chief Technology Officer, noted. "Today, we are very pleased to collaborate with leading mobile chip manufacturer, Qualcomm, to test the performance of our 4G and 4.5G networks with LTE Advanced through an extensive trial. We are both very excited with the performance results that will bring the fastest, strongest, and most reliable experience to Thai consumers. To remain at the forefront of the industry, we plan to invest THB 40,000-45,000 million in further improving our network this year alone, paving the way towards the vibrant era of 5G."