"Following 4G, Proximus is already supplying smartphone users with a new version of the technology - 4G+," said the mobile operator's spokesman on Monday, confirming a report published by Le Soir the same day. From a technical point of view, compatible smartphones on 4G+ can achieve operating and download speeds up to twice as fast as 4G, that is, up to 300 Mbps (megabits per second). The main aim is to enable users to download large files without using the Wi-Fi network.
"Anyone with a compatible smartphone walking in and around Ghent, Antwerp, Bredene, Louvain and soon Namur, will be able to enjoy 4G+", reported Proximus' spokesman. He added, "Currently, the only devices available for 4G+ are the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Samsung Galaxy 4 Alpha." And where there is no 4G+, the smartphone will simply switch to 4G.
Proximus' rival, Mobistar, is also working on similar technology. "Mobistar was the first Belgian operator to successfully test a bonafide 4G+ network, providing speeds over 200 Mbps," said the operator, referring to the test it performed last May in Mechelen. "This test proved quite successful", he added. That 4G+ network is also still available in mechelen and will remain so," Mobistar told Belga, without alluding to any future development of this technology across the country.
Base is taking a different approach. "We did a test we called 'LTA Advance' in Hasselt last February", said the operator's spokesman. "I would call this technology 4G +++ and we are carefully monitoring it. But our priority at present is developing the 4G network, which is being adopted by an increasing number of customers."
Jonadav Apelblat
Business and Technology Editor
The Brussels Times
