China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) has launched what it claims is the world’s first TD-LTE and FDD-LTE converged network.

The China Mobile subsidiary said that the network will give customers a “seamless 4G experience and peace of mind for international roaming when they are travelling between Hong Kong and China”.

The new network integrates the existing FDD-LTE network – launched last April ­­- with a new 2.3GHz TD-LTE band, boosting network capacity.

While most operators worldwide have launched LTE services in the FDD (paired) spectrum band, China Mobile is preparing to launch nationwide LTE networks in its home country in unpaired (TDD) LTE spectrum. The Hong Kong deployment will therefore give the world’s largest operator an opportunity to test the convergence of TDD- and FDD-LTE networks ahead of its huge domestic launch.

CMHK chairman Tiger Lin said that the converged network is a solution to the issue of traffic overload, and that the company foresees “a better and faster development of 4G than 3G”.

The converged network has been built using technology from Ericsson and ZTE. The operator said that the service will roll out in phases, “with the first phase available to selected commercial customers.”

In June, the operator demonstrated the world’s first TD-LTE and FDD-LTE roaming between Hong Kong and Hangzhou in China. CMHK has also worked with South Korea’s KT and Singapore’s M1 to provide LTE roaming services.