U.S. Cellular, in partnership with Ericsson and Qualcomm, demonstrated an extended range 5G NR millimeter Wave (mmWave) data call over a distance of more than 5 km and with speeds greather than 100 Mbps.
The data call occurred over U.S. Cellular’s commercial network in Janesville, Wisconsin. The milestone was achieved by applying extended-range software to commercial Ericsson hardware – including AIR 5121 and Baseband 6630 – and a 5G CPE device powered by the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System with the Qualcomm QTM527 mmWave antenna module.
The companies said this achievement redefines the perception of 5G mmWave spectrum as an urban- or high-density-only deployment technology and offers new opportunities to use current infrastructure for broader 5G coverage.
Mike Irizarry, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Cellular, says: “This is a key strategic milestone in our 5G evolution. Expanding 5G mmWave coverage enables us to offer high-speed broadband services to consumers and businesses in rural areas and underserved communities and reinforces our commitment to technological leadership for rural America. It is a concrete example where U.S. Cellular is driving innovation leadership in extended range technology from Ericsson and promoting the high-power device ecosystem enabled by Qualcomm Technologies.”
Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “Ericsson is constantly pushing the boundaries of 5G technology to bring its benefits everywhere across the globe. Ericsson has a long and successful track record in extending coverage across generations of mobile technologies. Working with our partners, Ericsson has now demonstrated the commercial viability of long-range 5G radio capability for mmWave spectrum.”
Alejandro Holcman, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. says: “This major milestone of using mmWave for an extended-range 5G data transfer is paving the way to implement fixed broadband services for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments. With the introduction of the Qualcomm® QTM527 mmWave antenna module as part of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 5G Modem-RF System, we are empowering operators and OEMs to offer high-performance, extended-range multi-gigabit 5G broadband to their customers – which is both flexible and cost-effective, as they can leverage existing 5G network infrastructure.”
