Vodafone, Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson have successfully demonstrated the benefits of millimetre wave (mmwave) through two trials in the UK.
5G mmwave technology uses a higher frequency than the airwaves that currently connect devices, meaning it offers faster data speeds, increased capacity, reduced latency and enhanced network performance. The trials made use of Ericsson’s AIR (antenna-integrated radio) 5322 and Baseband 6651 technology, as well as various devices powered by the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.
Mmwave frequencies also enable more devices to be connected simultaneously without experiencing network congestion and provide a future platform for innovative applications and services.
With data consumption increasing more than 30 per cent year-on-year due to the increasing number of devices connected to the network and consumers using more data–rich applications on their smartphones, there is an on-going risk of network congestion. Vodafone is looking at how 5G high-band frequency spectrum can help improve the customer experience.
The first trial focused on how the higher download and upload speeds of mmwave spectrum can deliver fibre-like speeds and home broadband services over the airwaves without the need for extensive underground infrastructure deployment.
In addition to the home broadband use case, the higher upload speeds could be used to wirelessly connect cameras and broadcasting equipment to provide a more cost-effective and flexible solution for media companies to cover events that might not be currently feasible.
The second trial was carried out in a London football stadium, to address network congestion. With a stadium capacity of 20,000 people, the club’s fans can often experience network congestion due to the large, concentrated number of devices trying to connect at the same time.
The higher capacity of mmwave spectrum can help connect more people simultaneously, to improve customer experience. Using a commercial Snapdragon–powered smartphone, the trial registered peak download speeds up to 2.8Gbps at various points with unobstructed views of the mast and 500Mbps for locations that didn’t have a direct line-of-sight.
Besides high-capacity use cases, mmwave technology could be used by businesses with low latency use cases such as factory automations, robotics and automobiles, remote assisted training, and surgery.
Andrea Dona, chief network officer, Vodafone UK, said: “While mmwave is a niche technology for mobile network operators in the UK, the uplift to customer experience will be incredible. With installations on a small number of sites, millions of people could benefit multiple times per week. This trial demonstrates how we can significantly improve customer experience by strategically targeting today’s challenges.”
Dino Flore, vice president, technology, Qualcomm Europe, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Vodafone and Ericsson to showcase the transformative potential of mmwave technology. The trials in the UK demonstrate the significant capacity and speed improvements that mmwave offers, enabling ultra-fast and reliable connectivity experiences, whether at home or in a stadium.”
Evangelia Tzifa, chief technology officer, networks and managed services, Ericsson UK and Ireland, said, “Our successful trials with Vodafone and Qualcomm demonstrate the potential of mmwave technology to revolutionize connectivity experiences. With the ability to deliver fibre-like speeds, and support for massively dense traffic environments, such as stadiums, mmwave opens the door to transformative connectivity experiences for mobile users, as well as new advanced use cases across various sectors.”