Qualcomm: “The global rollout of 5G is exceeding expectations in both its speed and scale”
With 5G just picking up momentum, operators are already looking to the second phase of the cellular transition: standalone (SA) 5G. The SA version is slated to be more efficient than the non-standalone (NSA) version, leading to lower costs for operators and better performance for users. This week, Ericsson and Qualcomm announced a significant milestone in SA 5G, achieving a successful data connection compliant with the 3GPP 5G New Radio standard in SA mode.
The test, performed in an Ericsson lab using commercial Ericsson Radio System base stations, utilized Ericsson standalone New Radio (NR) software – launched in June – and Ericsson’s 5G Cloud Core solution with a mobile smartphone form-factor test device powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System.
SA 5G would also eliminate the issue of “upswitching” latency, which occurs when a device first switches from LTE to 5G because SA 5G would not require the support of a 4G LTE network to perform certain functions, and will utilize new 5G network cores
5G is taking the world by storm, putting pressure on operators and electronics manufactures to find ways to stay ahead of the pack. Qualcomm’s SVP and GM for 4G/5G Durga Malladi confirmed this sentiment, commenting, “The global rollout of 5G is exceeding expectations in both its speed and scale.”
Qualcomm and Ericsson’s milestone, according to Per Narvinger, head of product area networks at Ericsson, demonstrates their commitment to the continued development of 5G technology. “We are strengthening the 5G ecosystem,” he said. “Service providers are already able to deliver the benefits of 5G technology, and now we are taking further steps to release the full potential of 5G, serving users and industries alike.”
Earlier this month, the two companies collaborated on the world’s first 5G data call using dynamic spectrum sharing. The call, performed at Ericsson’s lab in Ottawa, Canada, was made on a 3GPP Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) low band using commercial hardware and Ericsson Radio System software.
