Ericsson researchers break the 5G speed record

By Fiona Leake
published

Ericsson's research and development team continues to push the boundaries of 5G.

Using products in the Ericsson Radio System range researchers hit downlink speeds of 4.3Gbps.
Using products in the Ericsson Radio System range researchers hit downlink speeds of 4.3Gbps. (Image credit: Ericsson)

Ericsson engineers managed to achieve delivery rates of 4.3Gbps which is the fastest 5G speed to date. In order to do this, the researchers had to use 8 component carriers and 800MHz of millimeter wave spectrum.

Ericsson Radio System Street Macro 6701 delivered data with downlink speeds of 4.3Gbps using a 5G smartphone test device powered by Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 5G Modem-RF System. This super-fast commercial solution will be available to 5G consumers during 2020.

Ericsson Radio System

"Ericsson is taking the next steps in ensuring service providers can deliver the best capacity and data rates over millimeter wave 5G."

Per Narvinger, Ericsson.

Ericsson’s new combination of Ericsson Radio System solutions and 8CC software grouping 800MHz of millimeter wave spectrum band has extended the capabilities of 5G. Which is why these incredible speeds have been made possible. 

This speed breakthrough will be significant for 5G use cases, such as multi-player gaming, AR gaming and rich video streaming. These high speeds will also present opportunities for communications providers to bring fixed wireless access to consumers, with cellular mmWave connectivity of up to four times faster than fiber.

“This is a fantastic achievement. To put 4.3Gbps in context, that is the equivalent of downloading one hour of ultra-high-definition, or 4K, content from a streaming service in just 14 seconds," said Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson. "Ericsson is taking the next steps in ensuring service providers can deliver the best capacity and data rates over millimeter wave 5G. The 8CC aggregation solution we have successfully tested will enable not only higher speeds but also large-scale 5G deployments and new business opportunities.”

If Ericsson can bring these speeds to 5G whilst maintaining its reliability, it will be a huge game changer for multiple industries. However, it’s unlikely that these speeds will be able to be accessed at all times and in all locations.

Fiona Leake
Fiona Leake

Fiona discovered her love for investing and making money from a young age. Since then this interest has grown and now she loves writing about investing and business, and follows the 5G market closely. She is also a technology enthusiast, and so they tend to be her favourite investments.