Carrier Aggregation

In telecom networks, Carrier Aggregation is a radio technology introduced in LTE-Advanced and continued in 5G that combines multiple component carriers (in the same or different bands) to deliver higher peak rates and better spectrum efficiency to a single UE.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkInternet and Routing

Carrier Aggregation in context

The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

Telecom networks depend on Internet-style routing (BGP, DNS, MPLS) for interconnect. Route hijacks and DNS abuse can degrade or intercept signaling, which is why RPKI and DNSSEC are now standard hardening for carrier networks.

To place Carrier Aggregation in the wider telecom-security picture, review A5/3, Broadband, BSS, CDMA, Core Network and CVE — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.