Vodafone UK, Huawei Hit 20Gbps Speeds in 5G Outdoor Field Trial

UK-based telecom giant, Vodafone Group has partnered with Huawei to complete world’s first 5G outdoor field trial system operating at E-Band(70 GHz) reaching 20Gbps peak rate for a single user device.  

The 5G mmWave field test that was conducted at Vodafone Emerald House in Newbury showcased 'SU-MIMO (Single User Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology that boasts a strong reflection path to reach 20Gbps UE peak rate. It also demontrated MU-MIMO (Multi User Multiple Input Multiple Output) for long-range UE to reach 10Gbps peak rate’.

David Lister who leads Vodafone Group's Future Technology Team in its Research & Development department, wrote in an article "In our tests we have been able to reach data rates of over 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and support multiple users that receive 10 Gbps each. This means that using the technology it’s possible to deliver an extremely high level of performance for an individual link, such as backhauling data between two locations, or supporting a large number of connections in small areas such as stadia or train stations."

He added that, "These tests contribute to the ongoing research into spectrum above 24 GHz for 5G enhanced mobile broadband. They will also contribute to research activities that will lead to 5G spectrum harmonisation at the next World Radio Congress in 2019."

Johan Wibergh, Vodafone Group’s chief technology officer
This field test in an outdoor environment is a significant step in validating the performance of 5G in high frequency bands, improving our understanding of the capabilities of the technology.

Eric Xu, Rotating CEO of Huawei
The joint trial of 5G mmWave connectivity in a real world radio propagation environment and co-existence of different radio links is encouraging. I highly value the cooperation with Vodafone, and believe we will achieve more progress in 5G, together with Vodafone and other industry partners.