NTT DoCoMo and Nokia are working together to develop networks running at high frequencies on 5G wireless era. The soon-to-be introduced 5G technology is expected to be showcased at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile operator, and Nokia, the world's third biggest telecom equipment maker, plan to demonstrate their early technical progress on 5G radio equipment at the Mobile World Congress show here this week.
The companies said they have achieved super-fast data transmission speeds of higher than 2 gigabits per second in a joint indoor trial using Nokia Networks' radio technology operating in the 70-gigahertz spectrum band. ‘Utilizing higher frequency bands including millimeter wave is key to deliver extremely high performance in 5G. We believe that high-frequency spectrum shall be used not just for small cells as a means to complement the existing network, but also for building solid area coverage through coordination with existing lower frequency bands,’ said Seizo Onoe, CTO, NTT DOCOMO, INC
By contrast, current 4G network specifications promise download speeds of up to 300 megabits per second. Although practical commercial speeds are typically far lower than that, 4G has fueled strong demand for watching TV and video on phones.
“We will ensure that our focus is clearly trained on helping the operator monetize the immense revenue potential of future-ready technologies to effectively address ever-increasing network coverage and capacity requirements.”, added Hossein Moiin, CTO, Nokia Networks.
They plan an outdoor 70 GHz trial later this year. This band of airwaves is on a range of spectrum from 10 to 100 gigahertz that the International Telecommunications Union is expected to free up by 2019 for use in fifth generation mobile networks. "This development underscores (DoCoMo's) readiness to deliver a state-of-the-art 5G network in 2020 and beyond," the companies said in a joint statement.
