Nokia claims new 5G uplink speed record

Finnish kit vendor Nokia teamed up with compatriot MNO Elisa and US mobile chip firm Qualcomm to hit uplink speeds of 2.1 Gbps using 5G over mmWave.

The demo took place in a live but controlled environment in the Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. It used a whopping 400 MHz of 26 GHz spectrum over Elisa’s network to achieve the claimed record speed, facilitated by the latest Qualcomm 5G modem. Unsurprisingly, the Nokia Arena is apparently one of the first stadiums to be equipped with 5G mmWave tech, so let’s see if it catches on to others that aren’t sponsored by telecoms kit-makers.

“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,” said Ari Kynäslahti, Head of Technology and Strategy at Nokia Mobile Networks. “Carrier Aggregation is the key to fully leveraging spectrum assets in different frequency bands.”

“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,” said Sami Komulainen, Executive Vice President, Production at Elisa. “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.”

Here’s why we should care about speed records like this, according to the press release: ‘Once deployed, the service will create new opportunities for at-venue data services such as real-time multi-user 8K ultra-high-definition video streaming, and augmented reality content for smartphones or wearable devices for immersive experiences. Visitors to the Arena will also be able to watch live performances from 360º camera locations via VR headsets from the comfort of their seats.’

Let’s see.

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