ZTE said it has completed an outfield Pre5G test with Belgium operator Telenet, making it the first operator in Europe to have achieved a 1.3Gbps download speed on the network of its mobile subsidiary, BASE.
Telenet is the largest cable provider in Belgium, and it also offers a range of other services, including mobile services via its unit BASE that it acquired early this year.
Telenet aims to finish its Pre5G deployment in urban areas in 2017 and it also plans to deploy Pre5G at a number of large-scale events, such as Tomorrowland, one of the biggest dance music festival, in 2017.
The Pre5G speed of 1.3Gbps is four times faster than 4G's maximum download speed, with a 13.3GB HD movie successfully downloaded in no more than 90 seconds during the test, said ZTE. The behaviour of consumers in the telecoms industry has been evolving radically, and demand for mobile data is expected to be four times greater in 2020 than now, according to the network traffic forecast by Ovum.
This Pre5G demonstration is based on four commercial spectrum bands, and combined with Pre5G key technologies including massive carrier aggregation, 4*4 multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) and 256QAM. Even after overcoming negative outdoor effects, such as wireless signal interference and signal attenuation, the download speed in the demonstration still achieved 1.3Gbps, said ZTE.
ZTE has been cooperating with Telenet since mid-November 2016, starting with basic configuration of two carriers and 2*2 MIMO, then evolving to multiple carriers, 4*4 MIMO and 256QAM technology combinations.
Micha Berger, Telenet's CTO
We're very excited about the results of this test, because the new download speed record is a milestone on the way to 5G. Pre5G networks are faster and provide higher capacity, which will improve mobile users' broadband experience, especially in areas with high mobile traffic.
Patric Bin, ZTE Benelux’s CEO
The 1.3Gbps demo opens a new era of Telenet & ZTE's partnership in advanced wireless technology innovation. ZTE is willing to support Telenet to bring this cutting edge technology to end users, improving their experience, and enhancing Telenet's success in Belgium.
