Telekom Romania and Ericsson are claiming the first 5G trial in south-eastern Europe after demonstrating speeds of 24GBps in connecting robots and moving vehicles in Bucharest.
The two companies did not specify exactly what technology was used beyond “advanced antenna techniques” including beamforming. However, it singled out network slicing, network functions virtualisation, software defined networking and distributed cloud as key to enable mobile robotics.
The speeds of 24GBps are more than 60 times current LTE speeds, the telcos said, and were used to demonstrate a cloud robotics solution, a self-standing robot, connected urban transport and dynamic environmental monitoring on a moving vehicle.
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Miroslav Majoros, CEO of Telekom Romania, said: “5G is enthusiastically awaited not only here, locally, but at Group level, too. Besides its superior attributes, more importantly, this technology, will create a shift in mindset for the entire society. It opens the door for immense new possibilities for our customers, for the way they live and work. High speed, mobility, security, intelligent devices, they all have some limitations today, but 5G will give a new perspective and solutions to these current challenges.
“We are testing it now, before its commercial launch, because we want to be ready to provide all these new experiences to our customers when the moment comes and them to be ready to make the best of it.”
Arun Bansal, SVP and Head of Ericsson in Europe and Latin America, added: “Today’s demonstration, the first of its kind in South Eastern Europe, provides a glimpse into the future and how 5G will enable people, industries and things to connect on an unprecedented scale, bringing with it a whole new world of devices and services.
“It is also a key milestone in the extensive collaboration between Telekom Romania and Ericsson to ensure Romanian people and industries can soon enjoy the benefits of 5G.”