You've just become the owner of a substantial mobile internet package that you want to share with your household or friends 👪. Yes, you can turn your old smartphone into a router, but it might turn out that the network bandwidth is too low. In that case, it's better to reach for an LTE router with band aggregation.
When is an LTE router with band aggregation useful?
Thanks to LTE band aggregation, you'll effectively improve your connection's performance... But first things first. You'll need mobile internet. Preferably a solid portion of gigabytes, as there's a plan for several people to use it. Will 100, or maybe 150 or 250 GB be enough for you? Without excessive formalities, with the option to use it wherever and whenever you want. And you can top it up as much and as often as you like.
Once you're equipped with such a substantial load, you'll need a router. Yes, it can be a router made from an unused smartphone. It's a proven method, which we've also written about on the blog (see how to make a router from a phone). But on the road to enjoying the boundless internet 🌊, some problems might arise. For example, those related to bandwidth and network capacity. You're scrolling through cat pictures 🙀, someone wants to watch a movie, and someone else prefers to have a video call at the same time. What then? You know what Vikings would do. They'd simply invade another country and conquer it. But those times are long gone, so today, neither burning villages nor other forms of forceful dominance are an option. And a solution to increase network bandwidth will be an LTE router with band aggregation, also known as LTE Advanced or LTE+.
How to use an LTE router with band aggregation?
Fast and stable LTE (4G) connections are a technological standard for data transmission that makes our lives much easier. Online games? Go ahead. Streaming? Also. We won't even mention video calls, browsing websites, and downloading files. And you don't need any cables for this 🔌. You just insert your SIM card into the router and you're good to go.
The Play network, on which Mobile Vikings operates its base stations, also uses this standard. In May 2022, in the speedtest.pl ranking, Play boasted the fastest mobile internet in Poland. However, for data flow to be sufficiently fast and not interrupted constantly, it largely depends on which LTE bands are currently being used.
In Poland, the LTE network operates on frequencies:
- 800 MHz,
- 900 MHz,
- 1800 MHz,
- 2100 MHz,
- 2600 MHz.
Low frequencies are characterized by wide coverage, allowing many users to access the network. The drawback? The most significant is their low bandwidth, which doesn't guarantee high download or upload speeds. It's the opposite with high frequencies. In this case, coverage is limited, but the speed is high. That's why operators gladly use them in large cities 🏙️.
And what about an LTE router with band aggregation capabilities? It can combine two or more frequencies into one large channel. Since individual bands can have a width of up to 20 MHz, you can achieve a total of up to 100 MHz. Quite a highway, right? Well, certainly a high-speed road where no one pushes their way in forcefully and everyone gets what they want.
What does an LTE router with band aggregation give you?
What happens to your mobile internet then? Harmony and peace reign at home. Network capacity and bandwidth significantly increase, and everyone is happy 🤗. The cats you're watching wave back at you without delay, monsters from "Stranger Things" race from one side of the screen to the other like Usain Bolt, and finally, you achieve success in online gaming.
Where does this sudden difference come from? Because the network operates more efficiently than when all users are using a single frequency simultaneously. Download and upload speeds improve, and coverage increases. Your internet gets a solid boost ✨. This solution will work successfully in your home, but it will also be effective in large crowds. It's used at matches or concerts when a lot of people are using mobile internet at the same time. Don't believe us? Try using the network under normal conditions at a music festival or another mass event. Good luck 🤨.
When can you use band aggregation?
To take advantage of band aggregation, you need to get the right equipment. This involves spending a few hundred zlotys on a router. You can also use a mobile device with band aggregation capabilities. These are Category 6 smartphones that allow for the aggregation of two or three bands. This technology is supported by individual models from many popular brands.
For a router or smartphone to aggregate bands, you must be within range of a base station that supports LTE Advanced.
If we've managed to reconcile a quarrelsome family 🕊️ or reduce the tension between friends living under one roof, that's great. Remember, at Mobile Vikings, we do #everythingforours.
