U.S. Cellular and Ericsson achieve 9 GBPS during 5G trials

U.S. Cellular and Ericsson have successfully completed joint testing of 5G in Madison, Wisconsin, achieving peak throughput of 9Gbps to bring this next-generation network technology one step closer to deployment in North America.

Building on a track record of innovation in 5G technology, this trial showcased Ericsson’s strength in 5G and serves as an opportunity for further planning to bring 5G services to market.

Ericsson installed 5G radios on a tower currently in commercial service by U.S. Cellular. Using 15 GHz spectrum through an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and run under varying environmental conditions to simulate real world use, the tests evaluated a number of new radio access (NX) carrier combinations to verify their benefits to network throughput and performance. The trials achieved peak throughput of 1.5Gbps at a distance of one mile and 9Gbps at a distance of 787 ft.

Also tested were radio resource sharing, beamforming, beam tracking, peak throughput and multi-user MIMO, among other measures of radio performance.

Michael S. Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Cellular, says: “This latest trial with Ericsson demonstrates incredible 9Gbps speeds in an environment that was close to a real world scenario, and we look forward to collaborating with Ericsson on the development of standards for a healthy 5G ecosystem.

We are committed to giving our customers the best experience with the latest technology that can enhance their lives or businesses, and a fast, high-quality network that works whenever and wherever they need it.”

Rima Qureshi, Head of Region North America, Ericsson, says: “Today marks another important step in our collaboration with U.S. Cellular to bring 5G technology to market in North America. With high speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G promises to significantly enhance end user experience and open new business potential for enterprises and our society.

We are pleased to work with U.S. Cellular in their efforts to bring the most advanced networks to the customers and businesses they serve, and these tests prove our capabilities in making 5G a near-future reality.”