The 5G test in Helsinki used the 5G network build in the 3.5GHz band
Finnish mobile operator has carried out a 5G test in Helsinki in partnership with Huawei. During the test, a 5G network was tested for the first time in a moving car simultaneously with two 5G terminal devices, which were provided by the Chinese vendor. The trial used the test network that Elisa built with Huawei and deployed in the 3.5GHz band.
The trial saw a terminal being carried in a vehicle, which travelled across the Pasila area in Finnish capital Helsinki, reach download speeds of 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 400 Mbps, the Nordic carrier said.
“We made history today, because this is the first time that 5G was used in a moving car in an urban environment. Up until now, tests have been done in laboratory conditions, but now the 5G network was used in the real world,” said Eetu Prieur, head of mobile technology at Elisa.
“5G networks and services based on them are being rapidly developed all over the world, and they will enable faster and more reliable network connections in the future,” Prieur added.
The executive also said the telco is awaiting the distribution of 3.5 GHz frequency later this year, which would provide the conditions required to build a commercial 5G network in Finland.
“New advances are vital if Finland is to become the leading country in 5G technology. We are encouraging companies to test 5G and to innovate,” said Kirsi Karlamaa, director-general of Finnish communications regulator FICORA.
Elisa has recently tested virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and gaming applications on the 5G testbed, achieving speeds of 1.4 Gbps between the base station and the device.
Earlier this month, Elisa announced plans to begin building a 5G-ready network in Turku in March.
Elisa said it aims to replace existing hardware that is currently used in the mobile network with 5G technology. The construction of the network will start in March, and is expected to be fully completed by the end of May.
“We are going to build a 5G-ready network using the latest technology available in the Turku region. It means that in the future, it will be easy to add features required in 5G services to the network, for instance, considerably faster data transfer speeds, short delay and functionalities needed in the Internet of Things, said Juha Laukkanen, Elisa’s regional director for western Finland.
“It’s great that Elisa is going to renew the mobile network in the Turku economic region. At the same time, it supports the development of the business sector in the area. This ensures that in the future, new and even better digital services can be developed for people living in the city,” said Jussi Vira, strategy and development director of the City of Turku.
“Examples could be nursing services at home, services related to guiding and traffic, as well as services linked to improving energy efficiency.”
