Latest Verizon trial is part of 5G fixed wireless access plans
Continuing its testing of fixed wireless access 5G in diverse deployment scenarios, Verizon this week shared details of a multi-vendor trial network launched in Ann Arbor, Mich., with vendors Cisco and Samsung.
Verizon plans to test fixed wireless 5G in 11 U.S. markets over the course of the year; the idea is to prove the technology in a variety of geographical settings and with varying vendor support. In this case, Samsung provided its virtual radio access network solution and pre-5G, which has yet to be standardized by 3GPP, base station and home router equipment. Cisco provided a virtual packet core. The companies worked together on interoperability testing focused on connections between the core and radio networks, and user devices.
Adam Koeppe, Verizon’s VP of Network Planning, said, “Interoperability, a key milestone towards 5G commercialization, allows for highly flexible network design to meet emerging 5G use cases.
Another key aspect of this testing is network function virtualization for 5G, which is seen as a key pillar of providing the level of network automation needed to support advanced 5G network slicing and other aspects of network management.
Cisco’s SVP and GM of Service Provider Business Yvette Kanouff said the testing is “making history on the path towards true network function virtualization, demonstrating it for the first time in a 5G environment.”
“A shift towards [NFV] creates new opportunities in the industry value chain, enabling collaboration with pioneering industry leaders to bring greater value to consumers and businesses,” samsung VP and Head of Next Generation Strategy Woojune Kim added.
