Telstra plans to conduct a 5G trial in September using Ericsson’s 5G radio test bed. Here is how the Australian operator is preparing for it.
Australia-based operator Telstra has started upgrading its Australian network’s wireless core with network function virtualisation (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN) technologies ahead of a 5G trial on Ericsson’s 5G radio test bed planned in September. “This allows us to support increased network configuration and deployment flexibility to different market segments, and to tailor their wireless connectivity through a concept called Network Slicing,” said Mike Wright, group managing director of Networks at Telstra in a blog post.
Multi-user MIMO and beam steering technology
Telstra will be the first operator in Australia to conduct a 5G trial via Ericsson’s 5G trial system, looking at 5G capabilities in a real-world environment. In particular, Telstra and Ericsson will be testing expected 5G speeds, ultra-low latency and Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) for improved end-user performance.
Beam steering technology will also be part of the upcoming 5G trial, whereby the beam steering antenna array can direct mobile signals to specific devices. “The advantage of beam steering is that the mobile signal to each user is optimised with less interference resulting in better network performance and more capacity,” said Mike Wright. “I’m looking forward to seeing the results of this demonstration, as it will help us fulfill our goal of rolling out a full-scale 5G service on Telstra’s mobile network in Australia.”
As part of the 5G trial with Ericsson, Telstra employees have been working with Ericsson’s 5G Research team in Sweden. “This is key to ensure that we’re bringing the best experience to our Australian customers,” said Wright. Telstra has also recently conducted 5G lab tests with Ericsson, where download speeds greater than 20 Gb/s were achieved. “That’s the equivalent of downloading around 4,000 different HD movies all at the same time,” said Wright.
Beyond the September 2016 5G trial, Telstra is also preparing for its first 5G trial on Telstra’s mobile network on the Gold Coast in 2018. “Telstra is well placed to evolve our 4G service, and we are putting the building blocks in place for Australia to be ready for 5G. Even though a major deployment of 5G is not expected until 2020, there’s lots of work underway around standards, testing, and spectrum and Telstra is at the forefront of these developments.”
IIoT News Recap: Stanley Healthcare and InterSystems team up on IoT applications; Optus and 2SG Wholesale to distribute wholesale M2M, IoT products; Connected health market to grow at 26.54 percent CAGR through 2020
Digital health: Stanley Healthcare and InterSystems team up on IoT applications
Stanley Healthcare and InterSystems announced they are strengthening their collaboration to enable new Internet of things (IoT) applications in healthcare, in particular through the integration of Stanley Healthcare’s AeroScout Real-Time Location System (RTLS) platform used for patient flow and staff workflow. “Everyone can appreciate the need for massive, intelligent information flow in hospitals and healthcare – it is literally a matter of life or death. But few people understand just how complicated it is to keep that flow going,” said InterSystems vice president of HealthShare, Joe DeSantis. “The Internet of things is not just about connecting devices, but also people, organizations, and communities. We are delighted to work with Stanley Healthcare to make it easier for healthcare providers to deliver safe, efficient, and more connected care.”
Wholesale M2M: Optus and 2SG Wholesale to distribute wholesale M2M, IoT products
Australia-based Optus Wholesale has entered a partnership with 2SG to distribute M2M, IoT and GPS products and capability into the wholesale reseller market, by combining Optus’ M2M carriage capability with 2SG’s reseller applications and business tools. “M2M is a growing market and this new relationship creates an exciting opportunity for resellers to participate in the market,” said John Castro, head of Marketing and Strategy at Optus Wholesale. “Optus is pleased to be working with 2SG because the M2M market represents such a terrific growth opportunity for us. M2M is still in its infancy in Australia and is still currently under-serviced by wholesale-enabled Service Providers.”
Digital health: Connected health market to grow at 26.54 percent CAGR through 2020
The global connected health market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.54 percent between 2016 and 2020, according to a new research report by Sandler Research, which identified virtual nurses as a key trend for market growth going forward. “Virtual nurses will become an integral part of medical infrastructure in the future. Patients can interact with virtual nurses through on-screen options and contact real-life nurses in case of any doubts,” the report stated.
