Spanish mobile network operator Vodafone Spain has revealed plans to deploy Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) technology next month on a commercial basis, Telegeography.com reported on Sept 3, 2014. With the operator noting that the technology upgrade theoretically enables downlink speeds of up to 300Mbps, it has confirmed that it will initially be available in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, before coverage is progressively expanded to other locations. In announcing its plans, Vodafone confirmed it would utilize the 1,800MHz and 2,600MHz bands to deploy LTE-A, with 800MHz digital dividend spectrum expected to be used once it becomes available. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, in December last year Vodafone Spain carried out testing of LTE-A technology in Madrid using spectrum in the 1,800MHz and 2,600MHz bands.

Meanwhile, alongside the planned LTE-A rollout, Vodafone Spain has also revealed that it is conducting trials of voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology, noting that it expects to launch the service commercially in " the coming months.”