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LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) is a technology defined by the 3GPP. In LWA, a mobile handset supporting both LTE and Wi-Fi may be configured by the network to utilize both links simultaneously. It provides an alternative method of using LTE in unlicensed spectrum, which unlike LAA/LTE-U can be deployed without hardware changes to the network infrastructure equipment and mobile devices, while providing similar performance to that of LAA. Unlike other methods of using LTE and WLAN simultaneously (e.g. Multipath TCP), LWA allows using both links for a single traffic flow and is generally more efficient, due to coordination at lower protocol stack layers.
For a user, LWA offers seamless usage of both LTE and Wi-Fi networks and substantially increased performance. For a cellular operator, LWA simplifies Wi-Fi deployment, improves system utilization and reduces network operation and management costs. LWA can be deployed in collocated manner, where the eNB and the Wi-Fi AP or AC are integrated into the same physical device or in non-collocated manner, where the eNB and the Wi-Fi AP or AC are connected via a standardized interface referred to as Xw. The latter deployment option is particularly suitable for the case when Wi-Fi needs to cover large areas and/or Wi-Fi services are provided by a 3rd party (e.g. a university campus), rather than a cellular operator.
LWA has been standardized by the 3GPP in Release-13. Release 14 Enhanced LWA (eLWA) adds support for 60 GHz band (802.11ad and 802.11ay aka WiGig) with 2.16 GHz bandwidth, uplink aggregation, mobility improvements and other enhancements.