Communications technology firm Ericsson and Angola's Unitel successfully demonstrated Africa's first 450 megabits per second (Mbps) data speed on a commercial LTE network.

According to Ericsson the demonstration utilised 60 MHz of spectrum, with three 20 MHz LTE carriers in band 3 (1800 MHz), band 7 (2600 MHz) and band 1 (2100 MHz) respectively.

Also the demonstration confirms the maturity and readiness of the Unitel network to support LTE-A 450 Mbps data speed, reads the statement.

Amilcar Safeca, board member and deputy chief executive officer at Unitel said,"The 450Mbps demo in Unitel's LTE commercial network ascertains our leading position in technological innovation not only in Angola, but globally.

"At the same time, it aims at ensuring that our network has the capabilities to be among the most advanced mobile networks in Africa and in the world. We are enhancing our network to guarantee the best experience to our subscribers when utilising all the services Unitel has available."

The LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Carrier Aggregation (CA) solution will enable operators to use spectrum more efficiently to deliver better user experience to customers. And mobile users will enjoy super-fast downloads and better performance of their applications.

Head of Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa, Fredrik Jejdling also commented, "Mobile broadband is opening up a world of opportunities by facilitating industry transformation and bringing inclusion and empowerment to communities. This is especially true in countries across Africa, where the technology enables access to tools, services, expertise, entertainment, and information that was previously out of reach to the majority."