Samsung claims new 5G speed record

Samsung Electronics says it managed to hit 8.5 Gbps over 5G in a lab, using 800 MHz of millimetre-wave spectrum over a couple of devices.

Using one Samsung 5G access unit, Samsung beamed a fat pipe of data to two test devices, then added up the total data rates to get to the 8.5 Gbps total. The key underlying technologies were carrier aggregation and MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output). Samsung is heralding this as an illustration of how great 5G over mmWave is, but let’s see them replicate those kinds of data rates in the wild.

“Samsung will continue to be at the forefront in advancing 5G mmWave technology,” said Hyunho Park, SVP of the Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This successful demonstration proves mmWave’s potential to deliver new kinds of business use cases and open up opportunities for mobile operators. We look forward to building on this significant technical breakthrough to fuel our continuous journey towards an innovative and vibrant mmWave ecosystem.”

There’s not a lot else to say about the landmark, other than what it says about Samsung’s competitiveness in the 5G networks space. With Huawei coming under increasing pressure in these fractious times, there will be plenty of opportunities for Samsung to increase its share of the networking market. Here’s a vid to prove it’s legit.