Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Ericsson collaborate on UK 5G mmWave trials

The trials used Ericsson’s AIR (antenna-integrated radio) 5322 and Baseband 6651 technology, as well as various devices powered by the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System.

The first one took place in Newbury and used full spectrum bandwidth (800 MHz of mmWave spectrum). It was designed to prove how the higher download and upload speeds of mmWave spectrum can help deliver ‘fibre-like speeds’.

Within 100 metres of the mast the devices (made by Askey, ZTE and a MiFi from Netgear) were apparently able to achieve peak download speeds up to 4 Gbps and 500 Mbps in upload. At 400 metres, the peak download speeds were 2.3 Gbps and 200 Mbps in upload.  Meanwhile at the edge of the coverage zone (up to 700 meters), the peak download speed was 500 Mbps, and latency was found to be 4-5 times lower than existing 5G capabilities, we’re told. 

The second trial took place in a London football stadium with a 20,000 capacity and was focussed on network congestion. Using a commercial Snapdragon powered smartphone, the trial registered peak download speeds of up to 2.8 Gbps for unobstructed views to the mast at various points, and 500 Mbps for locations that didn’t have a direct line-of-sight.

“While mmWave is a niche technology for mobile network operators in the UK, the uplift to customer experience will be incredible,” said Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer, Vodafone UK. “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.”

Evangelia Tzifa, Chief Technology Officer, Networks & Managed Services, Ericsson UK and Ireland added: “Our successful trials with Vodafone and Qualcomm demonstrate the potential of mmWave technology to revolutionize connectivity experiences. With the ability to deliver fiber-like speeds, and support for massively dense traffic environments, such as stadiums, mmWave opens the door to transformative connectivity experiences for mobile users, as well as new advanced use cases across various sectors.”

Ofcom is currently putting the details together of an auction for the spectrum in the UK. The regulator intends to auction 5.4 GHz of mmWave spectrum, comprised of 2.4 GHz in the upper and lower 26 GHz band, and 3 GHz in the 40 GHz band.