Using commercial equipment Ericsson successfully the 16-layer Multi-user MIMO 256 QAM with 8 UEs over 100MHz on C Band in the US, 5.4Gbps peak cell capacity. Demonstrating the kind of capabilities required for high-capacity, low-latency 5G networks.
"Exceeding 5 Gbps on C Band spectrum sets high expectations for mid-band 5G deployments in the US,” said Kevin Zvokel, head of networks at Ericsson North America.
“Ericsson is prepared to help our customers deploy 5G infrastructure now with superior performance and coverage to deliver the full potential of 5G."
The C Band campus network uses a test license C Band Special Temporary Authorization (STA) from the Federal Communications Commission and consists of 64T64R AAS radio, baseband, Router 6000 and core network equipment from Ericsson, and is part of the 5G Distributed Innovation Network at Ericsson's Plano, Texas, facility.
"The throughput demonstrated by the Ericsson demo network establishes a new benchmark for network performance and showcases the benefits that will be available to the market when mid-band networks are available,” added Michael Thelander, president of Signals Research Group.
“5G in mid-band networks in the US will be a fantastic boon to enterprise and consumers. It is crucial that US operators have access to reliable radio technology to deploy these networks."
C Band is mid-band spectrum, consisting of 500Mhz between 3.7-4.2GHz, that is of critical importance to 5G deployment, especially in the US.
Mid-band spectrum combines extended coverage with increased capacity and will support 5G use cases, like connected factories, smart cities and virtual reality.
It is also the major spectrum used to date by most countries in the world. It is predicted that an upcoming C Band auction at the end of 2020 for 280MHz is on the cards.
