TIM has achieved download speeds of up to 700MBps on a live “4.5G” network in Turin as it prepares to launch 5G trials in the Italian city.
The trial, conducted with Qualcomm and Ericsson also hit 75MBps upload speeds. The results were a first in Italy.
TIM said that the speeds would be available to TIM customers in the coming months, with the roll-out of enabled smartphones and the upgrading of the LTE network currently taking place.
The operator ran a series of 5G demos to mark the occasion, showing technologies including drone control, virtual reality and use of the cloud in industrial applications.
TIM said it plans to trial 5G in Turin by the end of 2018. As part of this, it will install over 100 small cells across the city.
Giovanni Ferigo, Head of Technology at TIM, said: “We are forging a path to the new 5G technology, a challenge that leverages our most important asset: the network.
“Turin is once again the capital of innovation, thanks also to the agreement between TIM and the municipal authority for the mobile coverage of the urban area with 5G technology, which will enable it to provide the community with new generation Smart City services”.
Last December, the operator launched a tri-band carrier aggregation network in three cities with speeds of 500MBps.
This followed the launch of the 5G for Italy project by TIM and Ericsson in June, which brings together industries, public sector organisations, universities, research centres, and small and medium enterprises to develop and test new services.
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