mmWave 5G Standalone tests saw 7.1 Gbps download, 3.6 millisecond latency
Chinese network equipment vendors CICT Mobile, Nokia Shanghai Bell and ZTE have tested the performance of mmWave 5G Standalone using devices equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System. According to a press note from Qualcomm, the testing delivered 7.1 Gbps download peak speeds, 2.1 Gbps upload peak speeds, and 3.6 millisecond latency.
There’s increasing global momentum for the deployment of mmWave 5G, particularly in user-dense areas like urban cores, business districts, transit hubs and stadiums. At the same time, many operators are in process of deploying 5G Standalone which pairs upgraded radio access networks with cloud-native core networks.
ZTE, for instance, recently supported Drei Austria’s commercialization of 5G Standalone under the 5G+ branding with initial coverage for 1.3 million households and businesses. Ahead of that launch, ZTE, Drei Austria and Qualcomm demonstrated aggregated 700 MHz and 1400 MHz spectrum on a 5G Standalone network.
Commenting on the latest testing in China, Qualcomm SVP and GM, Cellular Modems and Infrastructure, Durga Malladi said in a statement, “As the world continues to see increased data demand, mmWave is playing a pivotal role in increasing network capacity at a lower cost for operators.”
Qualcomm said the testing covered “single-user throughput, user plan and control plane latency, beam switching and cell handover,” and only used mmWave spectrum with no sub-6 GHz anchor.
The downlink tests used DDDSU frame structure, with the D and U slots respectively for downlink and uplink transmission. The special S slot typically is sub-divided into symbols for downlink, uplink and silent transmissions. The uplink testing used a DSUUU frame structure.
