TIM Brasil and Claro launch LTE-A using new 700MHz frequencies

Brazilian cellcos TIM Brasil and Claro have both launched their first LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) 4G networks using the recently freed 700MHz band. The two operators have begun using the 700MHz band in Rio Verde after the city became the first in Brazil – and in South America – to switch off its analogue TV signals on 1 March this year. Claro and TIM are both utilising carrier aggregation (CA) in the 700MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands to boost speeds for 4G subscribers with compatible handsets. The next Brazilian city due to switch off its analogue TV transmissions is Brasilia on 26 October.