Ooredoo Qatar is introducing tri-band carrier aggregation. The combination of 20+10 MHz bands on its 4G+ network enables the operator to reach speeds of up to 375 Mbps. The faster services will be available to customers as soon as compatible devices come onto the market. In December 2014, Ooredoo, Nokia Networks and China Mobile achieved a record-breaking speed of 4.1 Gbps over TDD-FDD LTE, in an experiment to demonstrate future user demand.

Tarifica’s Take

In today’s ever-changing mobile market, an operator’s network is its most important resource. Ooredoo Qatar, even though it has a significant lead over competitor Vodafone, is wise to use new technologies such as tri-band carrier aggregation to enhance its network’s speed and quality. The only catch is that this service is device-dependent, from the customer point of view, so in order for this innovation to translate into profits, there must also be investment in devices, device sales, and promotion. As for the latter, in order to get ROI, Ooredoo will have to convince customers that super-speeds in the region of 375 Mbps will have enough utility to be worth the costs of the device and the service itself.