LTE-U, or LTE Unlicensed, is a technology originally developed by Qualcomm to utilize unlicensed spectrum in the 5GHz band to allow cellphone carriers to boost LTE capacity. LTE-U devices would operate similar to a Wi-Fi hotspot with the same rules and regulations of the 5GHz band, but rather than outputting Wi-Fi signals, the LTE-U hotspot would output LTE signal.
LTE-U has seen some controversy over the years by groups claiming that LTE-U could interfere with WiFi connectivity as both devices operate on the same 5GHz band.
Verizon announced that it began testing LTE-U in November 2016. T-Mobile announced plans to launch LTE-U in Spring 2017.
