Ericsson, Telia Norway test 5G at 26 GHz for enterprise

Ericsson and Telia Norway said they achieved download speeds of close to 4 Gigabits per second in the 26 GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) band.

The feat was part of 26 GHz tests they’re conducting in the Norwegian cities of Oslo, Trondheim and Lillestrøm to explore coverage and capacity indoors, outdoors and in densely populated areas.

The goal is to see how consumers, businesses and industries can all use the speed, capacity and latency of the mmWave spectrum, according to Ericsson, which is contributing its full radio solution (Radio AIR5322 and Baseband 6630).

The two companies are looking at opportunities in the enterprise market in particular, noting that a range of industries can take advantage of 5G connectivity to improve the speed and efficiency of operations, enabling automation, VR and AR applications.

“Our tests in the millimeter band show impressive download speeds with massive capacity and low latency,” said Georg Svendsen, head of Infrastructure at Telia Norway, in a statement. “This makes the technology perfect for everything from Enterprise Mobile Networks and advanced gaming to fan experiences at sport stadiums and of course for private and commercial use in general.”

Telia plans to increase the pace of its 5G development in Norway in 2022, reaching a nationwide 5G network in 2023.

Ericsson and Telia have a history of collaboration with industry and academia, including in the areas of 5G use cases for self-driving trucks and a driverless electric minibus trial in Stockholm, Sweden.

In 2019, Telia Norway tapped Ericsson as its sole radio access network (RAN) supplier in a 5G deal that included 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software.