Qualcomm working with local operators and government on millimeter wave 5G trial network
Millimeter wave spectrum has been front-and-center in U.S. 5G deployments with AT&T, T-Mobile US and Verizon all going to market using high-band frequencies, while Sprint went to market using its 2.5 GHz holdings. Millimeter wave-based networks have pushed downlink throughput speeds in excess of 2 Gbps to compatible handsets, although per-cell coverage is relatively limited.
In the rest of the world, operators have based initial 5G offerings off of mid-band spectrum, largely the 3.5 GHz band, which is supporting 5G in Europe, Asia and Australia. As operators throughout Europe work on mid-band 5G, regulators have solid plans for making high-band spectrum available.
Qualcomm, which pioneered millimeter wave technologies, including antenna modules and RF front-end components, is working in Russia with local operators and the Moscow government to set up a trial millimeter wave 5G network by the fall. In a press release, Qualcomm said the network will be used for fixed and mobile services for applications like augmented and virtual reality.
Eduard Lysenko, the head of Moscow’s IT department, said one goal of the 5G trial is to explore how to “create more high-paying jobs and attract further investment to the city. In many of the world’s megacities, the deployment of 5G networks is restricted by mobile operators’ business needs and their access to the spectrum frequencies needed. In our case, spectrum access has been resolved at the state level to accelerate the rollout of high-capacity 5G.”
This is just one part of 5G in Russia. Huawei recently made a deal with operator MTS to develop indoor, fixed wireless, IoT and other 5G-enabled use cases over the next year.
Also, Ericsson and Tele2 recently announced a “5G zone” in central Moscow, providing outdoor coverage in Tverskaya Street. Demoes showcase immersive VR, smart buildings and related consumer and industrial use cases.
Sergey Emdin, Tele2 Russia CEO, said, “The 5G era in Russia has already come – from tests and laboratory trials, we are moving to operating the technology on a commercial network. In the near future, Muscovites will be able to see for themselves what 5G will bring to the daily life, entertainment and development of smart city.”
