Verizon and Nokia have completed a series of data sessions over the 3GPP 5G New Radio(NR) standard outdoors and also a multi-carrier aggregation to boost those signals into Gbps range.
In February, the two companies, along with Qualcomm, completed the first-ever 3GPP NR data connection in a lab. The latest tests took place on Verizon’s campus in Basking Ridge, NJ. The two companies worked together to transmit multiple live interactive virtual reality (VR) sessions and simultaneous 4k streaming video on Verizon’s 28 GHz millimeter wave spectrum with latencies of 1.5 milliseconds.
Transmitting interactive VR and 4k video streams outdoors required a consistent, stable, reliable 3GPP NR 15 network connection, said Verizon. Previous 5G NR tests with Nokia have been conducted in a controlled indoor lab environment and involved only a brief data packet transmission – something that’s much easier to do but doesn’t match how consumers will actually use 5G. Adding in carrier aggregation over four carriers increases the bandwidth and speeds of the transmissions to the levels promised by true 5G technology.
Verizon has announced it will launch 5G residential broadband service in four markets in the U.S. – including Los Angeles and Sacramento – in the second half of 2018, followed by a mobile 5G solution.
Sanyogita Shamsunder, VP, 5G Ecosystems & Innovation, Verizon
By continuing to push the technological envelope and make advancements like these, we’re driving the ongoing development of 5G technology and bringing it to life for our customers.
Marc Rouanne, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia
Our successful trial pushes the testing distance and because it has been conducted outside, tests the interference variables in an outdoor environment. This is a major milestone for preparing Verizon for widespread 5G implementation.
