Italian operator TIM have set a record for long-distance speed on a millimetre Wave (mmWave) 5G network, reaching 1Gbps over a range of 6.5km.
The feat was achieved in Rome using a base station powered by Ericsson’s radio gear and a device manufactured by Casa Systems and equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System and its QTM527 extended-range mmWave antenna module.
The record is being presented by the companies involved as further evidence of the potential for 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband to deliver ultrafast services to areas where fibre connectivity is non-existent or isn’t a practical option.
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5G mmWave speed record
5G will use a mixture of low, mid, and high-band spectrum, each of which offers a combination of range and capacity. mmWave delivers massive capacity over a short range, making it ideal for high bandwidth applications that require a guaranteed level of throughput.
The majority of 5G deployments to data have been powered by low and mid-band spectrum frequencies that are ideal for mobile broadband services. However, operators such as Verizon in the US have used mmWave to power 5G FWA broadband services in major cities.
TIM plans to use mmWave not only for 5G FWA, but also for business applications and indoor coverage.
“This record confirms the usability of 5G millimetre-wave spectrum, not only for urban, high speed or high-density-only deployment, but also for wider 5G FWA coverage,” it said. “It builds on the successes previously achieved with millimetre-wave in September when the TIM network connection stably exceeded a speed of 4 Gigabits per second in downlink on a live 5G network.”
The next phase of the project will see the system rolled out in Front, near Turin, which is not served by fibre network. TIM also plans to identify industrial districts for deployment.
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