Moving on previous comments, U.S. Cellular said it completed a fixed wireless trial of 5G technology with Nokia, resulting in speeds up to 5 Gbps
Network trials of “5G” technologies continue to permeate throughout the domestic mobile space, with regional carrier U.S. Cellular the latest to announce such a move.
The carrier said it worked with vendor Nokia to test fixed wireless services in outdoor and indoor environments using spectrum in the 28 GHz band. The spectrum was from an experimental license granted by the Federal Communications Commission and using Nokia’s AirScale radio platform.
The tests were said to include streaming of six simultaneous 4K videos, with the outdoor demonstration in Chicago using a point-to-point wireless connection between a base station and user equipment. To simulate “real-world” environments, the testing included “dry walls, windows and metal panels” as well as having equipment moved behind trees and foliage. Indoor testing was conducted at U.S. Cellular’s lab.
Claimed results include network speeds of up to five gigabits per second and latency of less than two milliseconds.
U.S. Cellular last month hinted at the trial, with EVP and CTO Michael Irizarry telling an audience at the CTIA Super Mobility event that the carrier is on the cusp of beginning 5G trials in the 28 GHz band. Irizarry noted the carrier also plans to move on a trial using spectrum in the 15 GHz band later this year and the potential for a third trial by the end of the year. Irizarry said the carrier plans to do a lot of work on propagation characteristics, with a strong focus on understanding what services work best on which bands.
The 28 GHz band is one of a handful the FCC is looking to set aside for 5G deployments as part of its Spectrum Frontiers proceedings. The spectrum is set to include 3.85 gigahertz for licensed use in the 28 GHz, 37 GHz and 39 GHz bands, and 7 gigahertz for unlicensed use across the 64-71 GHz bands.
The fixed wireless trial has become common among initial 5G technology moves by operators.
AT&T has been working with vendors, including Nokia, on such trials using spectrum in the 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.7-4.2 GHz, 14.5-15.35 GHz and 27.5-28.5 GHz bands. In recent tests the carrier has seen network speeds in excess of 10 gigabits per second .
More recently, the carrier said it has begun trialing a point-to-point millimeter wave wireless technology to beam connectivity from a fiber-fed central location to apartment and multifamily properties, where consumers can then tap into that connection for broadband and television services. AT&T said the trial is looking to deliver broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second to individual apartment units, with plans to speed up connections to as high as 500 Mbps.
Verizon Communications is moving on similar trials, where it has used its already-deployed fiber assets to power fixed wireless terminals designed to deliver broadband connectivity from a central location to multiple end points. The carrier said it has conducted tests in New Jersey showing fixed wireless speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps using a point-to-multipoint solution, with equipment transmitting in the 28 GHz spectrum band.
Verizon Communications President and CEO Lowell McAdam recently told investment analysts the move is expected to provide a compelling broadband experience for customers at an attractive price point for the telecom operator.
“I think of 5G initially as, in effect, wireless fiber, which is wireless technology that can provide an enhanced broadband experience that could only previously be delivered with physical fiber to the customer,” McAdam said. “With wireless fiber the so-called last mile can be a virtual connection, dramatically changing our cost structure.”
Verizon is now moving trials into a “field environment,” where it’s looking to cover a typical 200-home development. That work is looking to test performance from sites at a distance of up to 1,000 meters. In terms of cost, McAdam said the carrier is looking at models showing deployments at roughly half the cost of current fiber-based Fios deployments to the home.
Google last week reiterated plans to look at hybrid approaches to deliver broadband services as part of the closing on its acquisition of fixed wireless broadband provider Webpass.
Google’s fiber efforts, which are currently available in eight markets, have reportedly run into deployment challenges that have moved the company toward seeking alternative options.
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