Question

I have read the FAQ and the Wiki but I don't quite understand the documentation about carrier aggregation.

I currently use a CAT4 cellular router in the U.S. with Verizon. I am considering upgrading to CAT6 so that I can take advantage of carrier aggregation. Are you able to tell if CA will work for me based on the bands available to me?

My current router regularly switches between bands 2 (1900 MHz), 4 (1700 MHz), and 66 (1700/2100 MHz). These are all FDD bands. It never seems to use Band 13 (700 MHz). Verizon band 46 (5 GHz and TDD) is not available where I am due to distance and obstructions.

I can see in the Wiki for example for RUTX11 1***** that it supports 2xCA: B2+B2/B5/B12/B29 etc. What exactly does this mean? Specifically "B2+B2" I do not understand.

Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Based on Quectel EG06 documentation, the modem in RUTX11, it is capable of aggregating bands B2+B13 and B4+B13. However, the usage of additional band depends on the signal parameters of that band. If the band 13 has low signal quality, it will not be used. If your current router supports manual band setting, you could test band 13 by setting it yourself and evaluating the performance. Reference parameter values are provided in this link: https://wiki.teltonika-networks.com/view/Mobile_Signal_Strength_Recommendations#4G_.28LTE.29. This might help to decide, whether the hardware update is necessary.

Regarding your question about CA description meaning, B2 itself means not a single frequency or a channel, but a range of frequencies, 1850 - 1910MHz for uplink and 1930 - 1990MHz for downlink in particular. These bands can be further divided into channels of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20MHz width. Thus, B2+B2 simply means aggregating a couple of channels within the same frequency range.

Best regards,

Žygimantas 

Comments

This is such a helpful answer. Thank you very very much! I just ordered RUTX11 to replace my current router.