TIM partnered with Qualcomm and Ericsson for the trial.
Italian mobile operator TIM said it achieved download speeds of up to 700 megabits per second and upload speeds of 75 Mbps on a live mobile network in a test carried out with Qualcomm and Ericsson.
TIM said the service will be made available to customers in the coming months, with the arrival of enabled smartphones and the upgrading of its LTE network currently underway in principal cities.
“We are forging a path to the new 5G technology, a challenge that leverages our most important asset: the network,” said Giovanni Ferigo, head of technology at TIM, in a statement. “TIM confirms its commitment to new generation [of] ultra broadband research and development, participating actively in the definition of the 5G standards, opening cutting edge laboratories, such as, for example, the [millimeter wave] lab, studying millimetric waves, and the IoT Open Lab to accelerate the development of internet of things applications, and developing new business models in partnership with the major technology players.”
Last month, the Italian operator signed a memorandum of understanding with the Municipality of Turin for the deployment of “5G” technologies in the city beginning next year. The “Turin 5G” deployment is expected to be the first in the country, with plans to expand coverage citywide by 2020.
The deal calls for Telecom Italia to begin installing 100 small cells across central parts of Turin beginning this year, with plans to add 200 “ultra broadband sites” and support from the telecom operator’s fiber infrastructure. The trial is expected to support up to 3,000 users, with plans to provide smart city services including public security, the management of public transport fleets, remote surveillance solutions and virtual reality to support tourism.
Telia, Ericsson reach speeds of 757 Mbps on 4G network in Sweden
Nordic telecom operator Telia said it hit network speeds of 757 Mbps on its 4G network in Sweden in a test carried out in partnership with Ericsson.
The test was carried out on Telia’s commercial network in Stockholm and was conducted in preparation of Telia’s goal to launch initial 5G technology in Stockholm and Tallinn, Estonia, next year.