The two trials explored the feasibility of FWA as a commercial service and mitigating network congestion
Vodafone, Ericsson and Qualcomm have run two trials of 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) tech in the UK. It runs on higher frequency than the airwaves currently used by mobile devices, bringing faster data speeds, greater capacity, less latency and better network performance. On the other hand, it also needs a lot more antenna as the coverage area is much smaller.
The trials used Ericsson’s AIR (for antenna-integrated radio) 5322 and Baseband 6651 technology, plus various devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.
FWA in action
The first trial explored the higher download and upload speeds of mmWave spectrum to deliver “fibre-like speeds and home broadband services over the airwaves without…extensive underground infrastructure deployment”. That is, by using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
The trial took place in Newbury where mmWave was used to provide “fibre-over-the-air” for Vodafone customers. Within 100m of the mast, it delivered broadband connectivity peak speeds of up to 4 Gbps for downlad and 500 Mbps in upload. Latency was four to five lower than ordinary 5G.
The three seem satisfied that this paves the way for commercial FWA services.
Overcoming network congestion
The aim of the second trial was address network congestion and took place in a London football stadium. It used a commercial Snapdragon-powered smartphone in a crowd of 20,000. The trial registered peak download speeds up to 2.8 Gbps for unobstructed views to the mast at various points, and up to 500 Mbps for locations without direct line-of-sight.
mmWave frequencies enable more devices to be connected simultaneously without experiencing network degradation. This is important as data consumption is increasing by more than 30% year-on-year due to more devices connected to the network, and consumers generating more traffic. Hence Vodafone exploring how 5G high-band frequency spectrum can help improve customer experience.
Besides high-capacity use cases, mm-Wave technology would suitr low latency use cases such as factory automations, robotics and automobiles, remote assisted training, and surgery.
The promise of incredible uplift
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, added, “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 & Managed Services, Ericsson UK and Ireland, stated, “mmWave opens the door to transformative connectivity experiences for mobile users, as well as new advanced use cases across various sectors.”