Vodafone, Qualcomm and Ericsson have completed two trials of new 5G millimetre wave (mmWave) technology which can offer peak connectivity speeds of up to 4Gbps. The technology has the potential to boost access speeds and reduce congestion in hotspots such as stadiums or stations.
The trials took place in two forms. The first was a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) trial in Newbury. This used mmWave technology to provide home broadband connectivity peak speeds of up to 4Gbps in what they call a “fibre-over-the-air experience”, being careful with the terminology to stick within Ofcom rules.
The second test was at a London football ground with a 20,000 person capacity and the technology here was tested to simulate a congested environment, with a successful download peak of 2.8Gbps on a smartphone. For context, normal 5G averages speeds of up to 100Mbps generally, although is capable of more in perfect conditions.
The mmWave technology works by using higher frequencies than mobile devices currently use. The 26GHz and 40GHz spectrum bands have been enabled by Ofcom to be used for testing this, and there is coordination worldwide on the spectrum use. Generally, mmWave will require a line-of-site to work optimally, so it’s not a technology that we can expect to be enabled nationwide. Higher frequencies allow more data to be carried, but they have a shorter range and are more severely affected by obstructions such as trees, walls or windows. A fixed wireless access type deployment in a home would likely need a roof-mounted antenna with a line-of-site to the transmitter to provide the best service.
In this case, the trial used Ericsson’s AIR 5322 and Baseband 6651 technology, with devices powered by the Snapdragon® X65 5G Modem-RF System. Within 100 metres of the mast, 4Gbps download and 500Mbps upload were available. At 400 metres, this dropped to 2.3Gbps and 200Mbps. The edge of the coverage zone, at 700 metres saw peak download speeds of 500 Mbps. Latency was 4-5 times lower than 5G – a metric that is very noticeable for online gaming, and also important in video calls.
“While mmWave is a niche technology for mobile network operators in the UK, the uplift to customer experience will be incredible. With installations on a small number of sites, millions of people could benefit multiple times per week. This trial demonstrates how we can significantly improve customer experience by strategically targeting today’s challenges.”
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer, Vodafone UK
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As noted by the article the line-of-sight requirement is much stricter than with lower frequencies, such that it is unlikely to work if you even have your back to the transmitter when holding the a phone a chest height.
So in a addition to the roof mounted antenna for a home to see the mast, for reception in public spaces the antennas are going to need to be above you covering an area beneath them, combined with seamless fallback to lower frequencies or preferably concurrent connections in multiple bands to provide continuous data.
If you want to use this indoors it’s in every room.