Telefónica wraps up trial of Cohere-based FWA solution

Telefónica, Cohere Technologies and 5TONIC Labs have cooperated in successful trials to test Cohere Technologies’ new 5G turboConnect Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution.

Cohere previewed its turboConnect FWA solution at Mobile World Congress 2018, positioning it as a disruptive new entrant in the fixed wireless space. It’s powered by the company’s patented Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) modulation, which it claims is field-proven to outperform any of the current modulations, such as LTE-OFDM.

Fierce 15 company in 2016, Cohere describes OTFS as a paradigm shift in wireless networking that creates a two-dimensional view of the delay and Doppler of the wireless channel. 

Cohere outside
Cohere achieved aggregated throughput of 300 Mbps
in 10 MHz. (Cohere) 

The recent tests were conducted over three days at 5TONIC Labs and Telefónica headquarters. Based on the results, Cohere says its spectral efficiency was proven to be nearly six times better than other solutions, providing unprecedented coverage and capacity at a fraction of the cost of fiber or alternative technologies.

Cohere said it achieved aggregated throughput of 300 Mbps in 10 MHz of spectrum, with a measured spectral efficiency of 57 b/s/Hz across 14 layers in a 90-degree sector, demonstrating the capabilities of the 5G turboConnect access platform and its ability to deliver under real world conditions.

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“The objectives of the tests were to show the spectral efficiency based on measured throughput, and evaluate coverage, the role of interference, peak data rates, linear scaling with MIMO order, real time processing and the ability to scale. These are key performance indicators required for a successful deployment of Fixed Wireless Access service,” said Arturo Azcorra, vice chairman, 5TONIC, in a press release. “We are very happy with the results obtained, that clearly improve on those obtained with other technological solutions. We look forward to continue cooperating with Cohere in the testing of its OTFS solutions, both for FWA applications as well as for other use cases, such as ultra-reliable communications and connections with high-speed vehicles.”

The tests were designed to assess the suitability of OTFS-based radio equipment for supporting fixed wireless access, a potential 5G use case that Telefónica and other operators are actively exploring.  

“The true star of these tests is OTFS, proving once again the technology delivers a guaranteed high-capacity link under any conditions,” said Cohere CEO Shlomo Rakib in a statement. “Working with Telefónica and our 5TONIC partners, we were again able to demonstrate in a real-world scenario how OTFS is an ideal candidate for 5G and beyond, achieving spectral efficiency nearly six times better than any other competing solutions. With this milestone, Cohere continues its successful track record of demonstrations and trials, completed in cooperation with a broad range of operators around the world.”