“Working with Huawei we have recently completed a 5G field test in Newbury that demonstrates the capabilities of a trial system operating at 70 GHz. In our tests we have been able to reach data rates of over 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and support multiple users that receive 10 Gbps each.” says Vodafone in a website post that describes the 5G field test at their Newbury Headquarters in the UK.
Using High Frequency Spectrum to Achieve Gigabit Speeds: Vodafone reports completion of a 5G field test. The trial was conducted using Huawei’s equipment operating in the 70 GHz band, and was able to reach data rates of over 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps) for single-user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) with a strong reflection path; and also to support multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) for long-range UE that received 10 Gbps each.
There Are Fundamental Difference Between mmWave Communications and Current Cellular Systems: The use of high frequency spectrum is still is still quite new in cellular systems which have been using frequencies under 3 GHz in previous generations (1G to 4G). Writing on the Vodafone Group blog, 5G Research Manager David Lister shares that there are significant engineering challenges associated with using these frequency bands. The radio signal is less capable of penetrating obstructions and the radio beams must be able to track the location of a device that is moving quickly. As a result, researchers are working to address these challenges as part of ongoing to work to determine how best to deploy and operate 5G networks.
@elenaneira
Sources: Vodafone uses high frequency spectrum to reach giga-bit 5G speeds, A Survey of mmWave Communications for 5G