Carrier Aggregation
(CA)
A feature of 4G and 5G networks that allows two separate radio frequency bands to be used simultaneously and effectively act as one, improving data speeds and/or network capacity.
Carrier Aggregation was not part of 5G NR at launch, but is being added to 5G phones and networks in 2021, making 5G faster.
Carrier Aggregation is the most notable feature of LTE Category 4 and above, often referred to as LTE-Advanced. Other features of Category 4 (and above) also help boost network efficiency and reliability. Network operators can pick and choose which is these features to deploy, but Carrier Aggregation is the most common.
Last updated Nov 13, 2020 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
