Nokia and NTT Docomo demonstrated its 5G wireless technology in an indoor trial and achieved down link speeds of more than 2 Gbps using higher frequencies in the 70 Ghz spectrum.
The companies conducted the 5G wireless technology indoor trial at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.
Nokia partnered with NTT Docomo to explore and enhance the potential of its mmWave technology in the 70 Ghz band. The companies are also planning to conduct a 70 GHz outdoor trial on the 5G technology later this year.
Important step forward in 5G
According to Nokia, the result of the indoor trial underscores the readiness of both operators to deliver a state-of-the-art 5G wireless network by 2020 and beyond.
NTT Docomo is the largest mobile operator in Japan while Nokia is the third largest equipment manufacturer worldwide.
In a statement, Seizo Onoe, chief technology officer at NTT Docomo said, “Utilizing higher frequency bands including millimeter wave is key to deliver extremely high performance in 5G. The success of this indoor trial with Nokia Networks using the 70GHz band marks an important step forward in our 5G vision for 2020.”
Onoe believed that high frequency spectrum can be used not just for small cells as a way to complement the existing network. It is also useful for building solid area coverage through coordination with existing lower frequency band.
NTT Docomo aims to introduce the 5G wireless technology during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
On the other hand, Hossein Moiin, chief technology officer at Nokia Networks said they have strong foundation to achieve NTT Docomo’s vision as they move ahead on their commitment to work together on the research and innovation for developing and validating the 5G wireless technology.
“We will ensure that our focus is clearly trained on helping the operator monetize the immense revenue potential of future-ready technologies, to effectively address ever-increasing network coverage and capacity requirements,” said Moiin.
Nokia, NTT Docomo 5G solution details
Nokia offered the following solution details related to the 5G trial
- Proof of Concept system was demonstrated using an access point and equipment with 1 GHz bandwidth in a laboratory environment
- Feasibility of Nokia Networks mmWave wireless communication showcased with a mobile terminal in the 70 GHz band
- 5G PHY and MAC software enabled beam tracking for pedestrian mobility and more than 2 Gbps throughput
Nokia estimated that the wireless data traffic will growby 10,000 times over the next 20 years due to ultra-high resolution video streaming, cloud-based work, entertainment, and the increase of different wireless devices
The Finnish technology company also estimated that 50 billion devices will be connected to mobile networks by 2025, the era of Internet of Things (IoT). Nokia believes that low latency and high capacity are needed to meet future use cases, and 5G wireless technology can meet those requirements.
