Optus, in partnership with Ericsson and MediaTek, has completed an Australian first demonstration with the use of New Radio Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) technology.
The demonstration in Sydney showcased the use of NR-DC technology to aggregate its mid-band 3500 MHz spectrum assets with its newly acquired mmWave 26 GHz spectrum to boost the 5G coverage area while maintaining superfast 5G speeds.
Using MediaTek’s M80 test platform and Ericsson’s RAN Compute (basebands) and 5G radios, the demonstration highlights the benefits of utilising both spectrum bands simultaneously, with average and peak 5G speeds expected to increase significantly as well as the ability to extend mmWave coverage over a greater distance.
Optus plans to roll out this new capability across its 5G network later this year as commercial mmWave devices begin to hit the market.
Lambo Kanagaratnam, Optus Managing Director Networks
The demonstration of NR Dual connectivity aggregation is another significant technology milestone that will help us meet this goal. We are always looking for ways to connect customers to technology that improves their lives and the use of 5G NR-DC will achieve exactly that offering our 5G customers increased coverage and speed when connected to the network.
Martin Wiktorin, Ericsson’s Head of Global Customer Unit Singtel
The greater speeds and capacity enabled by NR-DC technology – when combined with the ultra-low latency of 5G – will allow innovative service providers like Optus to meet increasing network demands from consumers. This demonstration paves the way for the next generation of 5G use cases for consumers, including gaming and immersive media.
