Telco gear vendor Nokia, and telecom company Elisa, achieved a record 2.1 Gbps 5G upload speed using Qualcomm solutions. The companies witnessed the speed using the mmWave spectrum in a Carrier Aggregated test. The live demonstration took place at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland.
The record follows the downlink speed of 8 Gbps from 2020. This allows Elisa, a telecom giant in Finland, to offer ultra-high-performing broadband service at low latency. Nokia says the solution will come into operation next year.
While companies explore more use cases for 5G, tech companies and developers are gaining new milestones in speed. The latest is just another example.
At the trial, Nokia provided its AirScale base station in 26 GHz mmWave spectrum over Elsa’s commercial 5G network. The network was connected to a 5G device powered by Snapdragon® X65 5G Modem-RF System. The Qualcomm solution featured the fourth-generation Qualcomm® QTM545 mmWave antenna modules.
In addition, Nokia deployed industry-leading Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology. This helped the collaborators churn out the best of the available spectrum. The CA setup consisted of four components of 100 MHz each.
The record-setting test took place at the Nokia Arena which has the luxury of the 5G mmWave. It is one of the first stadiums to include the high-band 5G broadband feature.
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The record 5G upload speed support 8K streaming and AR, and security
The upload speed is vital to leverage edge computing like media broadcasting or HD streaming from the venue. At the same time, high-band 5G is also ideal for places that attract large crowds such as stadiums, theatres, or airports. That is because mmWave offers high speed over a short area.
Likewise, Nokia says that the mmWave 5G can offer new opportunities for at-venue data services. For example, the high uplink speed will support real-time multi-user 8K high-definition video streaming, and AR content for smartphones and wearables. The result is an extremely immersive user experience at the expense of high-speed and low latency. Don’t miss: Nokia to Lead 6G Vision with NTT and DOCOMO
Meanwhile, Nokia says visitors to the Arena will also watch live performances from 360º camera locations using VR headsets.
Broadcasters will also benefit from enhanced video capture to support HD quality live reporting and content. This also means the viewers watching on mobile and television sets will enjoy high-quality broadcasts of the events from the Arena.
Additionally, 5G technology will also support venue operations and critical functions such as security.
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What was said of the record-setting 5G test?
Ari Kynäslahti, Head of Technology and Strategy at Nokia Mobile Networks, said: “5G mmWave stands out as an optimal solution for venues like stadiums, where large capacity and ultra-high data speeds are needed over a short distance for thousands of mobile users at the same time. Carrier Aggregation is the key to fully leveraging spectrum assets in different frequency bands. This successful project is another important milestone in our long-standing and well-established relationship with Elisa and Qualcomm Technologies. We look forward to seeing visitors enjoy innovative 5G experiences at the Nokia Arena soon.”
Sami Komulainen, Executive Vice President, Production at Elisa, said: “Elisa is leading in the development of 5G services in Finland and this is yet another important step in our efforts to bring the fastest speeds and best 5G experiences to our customers. We previously announced reaching 8 Gbps downlink speeds with Nokia, and Qualcomm Technologies and now we have pushed the possibilities of 5G technology even further with this new trial reaching over 2 Gbps uplink speeds. This will deliver incredible and enhanced services to visitors of the Nokia Arena.”
A significant milestone for 5G mmWave
Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Europe, Inc., and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA, said: “We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment which represents a significant milestone for 5G mmWave. The throughputs achieved today show the true potential for mmWave deployments and we are excited to continue collaborating with industry leaders to make 5G mmWave a commercial reality.”
Gradually, 5G is expanding across the world. The network has already ruled a few select Asian countries, while India, the 3rd largest telecom market is close to launching it commercially. The country is going to the 5G spectrum auction this July. Meanwhile, Nepal is likely to start 5G trials this year.
Are you compelled by the 5G record speeds, or rather stay connected with the existing 4G network? Do share in the comments below.
