According to a statement, the first trial focused on how the “higher download and upload speeds of mmWave spectrum can help deliver fibre-like speeds and home broadband services over the airwaves.”
The statement continued that within 100 metres of the mast, devices were able to achieve peak download speeds up to 4 Gbps, and 500 Mbps in upload. At the edge of the coverage zone meanwhile - up to 700 metres - , peak download speed was recorded as 500 Mbps. Latency was found to be "four to five times lower than existing 5G."
Devices used during the trial were provided by Askey and ZTE, plus a Netgear MiFi, powered by the Snapdragon X65 5G. The trial took place in Newbury. The trials leveraged Ericsson’s antenna-integrated radio 5322, Baseband 6651 technology.
The second pilot – which took place at a 20,000-capacity football stadium - was aimed at addressing network congestion. The statement continued: “Using a commercial Snapdragon powered smartphone, the trial registered peak download speeds up to 2.8 Gbps for unobstructed views to the mast at various points, and even 500 Mbps for locations that didn’t have a direct line-of-sight.”
Vodafone UK chief network officer, Andrea Dona, said: “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.”
Qualcomm Europe’s vice president of technology, Dino Flore, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Vodafone and Ericsson to showcase the transformative potential of mmWave technology. The trials in the UK demonstrate the significant capacity and speed improvements that mmWave offers, enabling ultra-fast and reliable connectivity experiences, whether at home or in a stadium.”
