Faster, lower latency, the capabilities of the 5G autonomous are undeniable, as Qualcomm was able to prove during a demonstration carried out in Austria.
One of the virtues of standalone 5G is helping rural and suburban areas eventually achieve 5G broadband. In Europe, Qualcomm is dealing with it using its Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF system, which has just been tested and deployed by one of the main Austrian telecom operators, Hutchinson 3G (or “3”), and l Chinese equipment supplier ZTE. The three companies were thus able to apply for a 5G network using a 700 MHz standalone coverage layer (SA) and the world’s first additional downlink (SDL) band 1400 MHz.
Switch from “non-standalone” 5G to standalone 5G
To better understand the evolution, it is necessary to resituate the context and to have an idea of where we are today in Europe. Currently, on the Old Continent, commercial 5G services mostly run in the core band, that is to say in the 3.5 GHz n78 band (in TDD, therefore when the devices and base stations transmit at the same frequencies, but at different times), all while using the non-standalone mode, known as the “non-standalone” of 5G.
? The difference between “non-standalone” 5G and “standalone” 5G: Clubic explains
As a reminder: 5G NSA (non-standalone access) is based on existing installations of the 4G network, to gradually increase in power and offer higher speeds. 5G SA (stand-alone) corresponds to a 5G network that benefits from its own installations, with the consequences that go with it: better speeds, lower latency, and total independence from the 4G network. This 5G SA evolution will take longer to arrive, since it requires more investment, which telecom operators are not all ready to make.
This current use makes it possible for the moment to respond to the rapid growth of technology and to provide sufficient capacity to distribute the network in particularly populated areas. n78 TDD tapes have higher throughput and operating capabilities. But now we have to set the course for the next stage in the evolution of 5G.
And the next step is to go standalone, using the new 5G core architecture. It will deliver ever faster speeds, ever more available connections and lower latency. This development must also coincide with the growth of 5G in areas such as industrial IoT and cloud services.
An autonomous 5G that opens in the countryside, provided that the necessary investments are made
The more cities see their number of frequencies increase, the more they support significant capacities and extend their use of the 3.5 GHz n78 frequency. The FDD bands resulting from 3G and 4G/LTE technologies (such as the 800 MHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz bands), are gradually being redeveloped into 5G bands, to improve the distribution of 5G in certain remote areas this time.
Where Qualcomm, Carrier 3, and ZTE excelled was when they were able to use standalone 5G with 700 MHz throughput, and in the world’s first additional downlink frequency band 1.4 GHz. , all with a data rate of 30 MHz. In concrete terms, this demonstration paves the way for the spread of 5G in less populated areas and the countryside. It could even be an alternative in areas where optical fiber cannot be installed.
” This step will allow the ecosystem to go further down the 5G path, unlocking new, overarching benefits of 5G for people and industries across Europe, and making 5G an even bigger proposition. compelling for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in rural areas commented Qualcomm Europe Senior Vice President Enrico Salvatori.
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