AT&T set for 4G boost after $1.9 billion Qualcomm deal

Agreed by FCC

AT&T set for 4G boost after $1.9 billion Qualcomm deal. Phones, AT and T, Qualcomm, 4G 0

23 December 2011 12:19 GMT / By Paul Lamkin

It has been an expensive week for AT&T. Not only did the telecom giant have to fork out $4 billion after its T-Mobile takeover was cancelled, it has now handed almost $2 billion over to Qualcomm to purchase the lower 700 MHz D and E block (channel 55 and 56) unpaired US spectrum licenses after the FCC approved the deal.

Now if that all sounds a bit too technical for Christmas Eve Eve (as we used to call it when we were still a wee-lad) then take comfort that the deal means, if you're on the AT&T network, you should benefit from a less congested and, hopefully, quicker 4G network.

The technology "is designed to deliver substantial capacity gains by enabling unpaired spectrum to be used in conjunction with paired spectrum for 4G services," said the company.

"The use of supplemental downlink will enable the efficient use of unpaired spectrum for mobile broadband in the US and a richer, faster mobile experience for consumers," said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm.

With the 4G spectrum being ever stretched by the growing number of tablets and smartphones carrying LTE connectivity Stateside, any boost in capacity is good news for users. Here in the UK, we may have to wait until 2015 before we get any 4G fun. Boo and hiss indeed.

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Phones, AT and T, Qualcomm, 4G