Nokia smashes 5G speed record

By published

As it edges ever closer to a major 5G milestone, it’s Nokia leading the way in the race to build the first 5Gpbs 5G connection.

(Image credit: Future)

Nokia has broken the world’s fastest 5G speeds in its Over-the-Air (OTA) network in Dallas, Texas, clocking in at an eye-watering 4.7Gbps. 

The test was performed using 800 MHz of commercial millimeter wave 5G spectrum and Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) functionality, and Nokia managed to  achieve 5G speed of up to 4.7Gbps. The tests were  performed on base station equipment that’s currently being deployed in major US carriers' commercial networks (including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon). 

"We already supply our mmWave radios to all of the major US carriers and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them moving forward.”

Tommi Uitto, Nokia.

“This is an important and significant milestone in the development of 5G services in the US, particularly at a time when connectivity and capacity is so crucial,” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia. “It demonstrates the confidence operators have in our global end-to-end portfolio and the progress we have made to deliver the best possible 5G experiences to customers. We already supply our mmWave radios to all of the major US carriers and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them moving forward.”

Record 5G speeds

The record speed was achieved by combining eight 100 MHz channels of millimeter wave spectrum on the 28 GHz and 39GHz bands, providing 800 MHz of bandwidth, and 40 MHz of LTE spectrum using the EN-DC functionality available on Nokia’s AirScale solution. 

EN-DC allows devices to connect simultaneously to 5G and LTE networks, transmitting and receiving data across both technologies. This means devices can get a much faster speeds than when connecting to 5G or LTE alone.

“This is a substantial achievement that reflects the careful workings of a brilliant and subtle team with the deepest appreciation for detail and circumstance. In other words, 8-component carrier aggregation in the millimeter wave domain shows the world that there is more than massive MIMO and open RAN to not only truly deliver the promise of commercial 5G, but also pave the way for future Terahertz system.”

In March Nokia announced that it had partnered with Sprint 5G to hit 3Gbps speeds without any need for additional hardware, and this new milestone will help Nokia solidify its position as a leading vendor when it comes to delivering maximum throughput for users. 



Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.