Plans for 5G mobile networks grow near with successful test
The advent of 5G mobile technology is growing nearer as a mobile operator has successfully delivered speeds of 2.8Gbps in and end-to-end test of its network, while another provider files a patent for what it calls “landmark” technology.
UK-based mobile operator EE carried out the end-to-end tests alongside Huawei, delivering superfast internet speeds and proving that similar speeds might be possible once 5G mobile networks roll out across the country.
To achieve a speed of 2.8Gbps, EE used a virtualised 5G core network that was linked to a “proof-of-concept” 5G baseband unit created by Hauwei. The test also delivered latency times of less than 5 milliseconds.
Tom Bennett, EE’s director of network services & devices, said: “The network architecture we’ve proven today is a huge step forward, and will drive our ambitious rollout timetable to be first for 5G.”
Though it is important to remember that the test does not reflect how fast 5G speeds would be in the wild – where interference, different handsets and demand on the network can all slow down the network – it does represent positive progress towards making 5G mobile networks a reality.
Meanwhile, Swedish mobile operator Ericsson has filed what it calls a “landmark” patent for a 5G end-to-end network, which covers all nodes, devices and the overall network architecture.
As Stefan Parkvall, a principal research at the firm, describes it, the patent “contains everything you need to build a complete 5G network”, adding that it would have a “huge impact on industry and society”.
Many believe that the higher speeds, wider bandwidth and lower latency of 5G networks will be required to achieve a fully-integrated internet of things, or to allow users to stream ultra HD video on the move, for example.
The first commercial deployments of 5G networks are expected to begin in 2020, assuming that market regulator Ofcom can resolve some current outstanding legal challenges over proposed auctions for broadcast rights.
