Nokia and Qualcomm have completed another stage of interoperability testing, this time staging test calls on both mmWave and sub-6GHz spectrum.
The tests were conducted at Nokia’s 5G centre of excellence in Oulu, Finland using Nokia’s commercially available base stations and a smartphone form factor rest device powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem and other antenna and radio components.
The partners say the success of these latest tests ensures the industry is on track to launch 5G mobile services and handsets in early 2019.
5G tests
"These successful data calls are a significant step in making 5G a commercial reality in early 2019, and this milestone with Nokia will help enable 5G network deployments across various operators and regions around the world, said Durga Malladi, head of 4G and 5G at Qualcomm.
"We will continue to work together to ensure end users have access to the technologies needed to experience transformative 5G experiences."
Tommi Uitto, head of mobile networks at Nokia added: “These key milestone tests with Qualcomm Technologies show the flexibility and capabilities of our AirScale radio access technology to deliver on the promise of commercial 5G.
“We continue to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies to ensure our customers can unleash the power of their commercial 5G networks, to support the many new and diverse applications that will meet the demands of people and connected things, as they begin to launch commercial services in early 2019."
Nokia has completed interoperability testing with a number of other major network equipment and component makers ahead of the arrival of the first 5G smartphones next year. Verizon has already launched 5G-powered Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) broadband services in the US, while three Korean operators have also switched on 5G.
The first commercial services will arrive in the UK in 2019, with EE, Three and Vodafone all revealing their rollout plans.
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