Qualcomm and Ericsson provided equipment for the 5G mmWave trials

Vodafone, Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson have successfully demonstrated the benefits of millimeter wave (mmWave) through two trials in the U.K., the former said in a release.

The trials made use of Ericsson’s antenna-integrated radio (AIR) 5322 and Baseband 6651 technology, as well as various devices powered by the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, Vodafone said.

The U.K. carrier noted that the first trial focused on how the higher download and upload speeds of mmWave spectrum can help deliver fiber-like speeds and home broadband services over the airwaves without the need for extensive underground infrastructure deployment. This FWA trial, which took place in Newbury, showed that mmWave technology is used to provide a ‘fiber-over-the-air’ experience for Vodafone customers, delivering home broadband connectivity peak speeds of up to 4Gbps.

Vodafone also explained that in addition to the home broadband use case, the higher upload speeds could be used to wirelessly connect cameras and broadcasting equipment to provide a more cost effective and flexible solution for media companies to cover events that might not be feasible today.

The second trial took place in a London football stadium with a capacity of 20,000 people, to address network congestion. Using a commercial Snapdragon–powered smartphone, the trial registered peak download speeds up to 2.8Gbps at various points with unobstructed views of the mast, and even 500Mbps for locations that didn’t have a direct line-of-sight, the carrier said.

Besides high-capacity use cases, mmWave technology would be ideal for businesses with low latency use cases such as factory automations, robotics and automobiles, remote assisted training, and surgery, Vodafone added.

Andrea Dona, chief network officer at Vodafone UK, said: “While mmWave is a niche technology for mobile network operators in the U.K, the uplift to customer experience will be incredible. With installations on a small number of sites, millions of people could benefit multiple times per week. This trial demonstrates how we can significantly improve customer experience by strategically targeting today’s challenges.”

“The trials in the U.K. demonstrate the significant capacity and speed improvements that mmWave offers, enabling ultra-fast and reliable connectivity experiences, whether at home or in a stadium,” said Dino Flore, vice president of technology at Qualcomm Europe.

Evangelia Tzifa, CTO of Networks and Managed Services at Ericsson UK and Ireland, said that these recent trials with Vodafone and Qualcomm demonstrate the potential of mmWave technology, which opens the door to transformative connectivity experiences for mobile users, as well as new advanced use cases across various sectors.

U.K. telecommunications services regulator Ofcom is currently paving the way to award mmWave spectrum in the country.

Vodafone noted that mmWave frequency spectrum can be used in a small number of locations which would have a significant impact on customer experience, as it can alleviate network congestion in busy areas also connect high-volume data use cases.