Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Telia Finland Extends SA Across Entire 3.5GHz 5G Network

Telia Finland has announced that it has can expect to experience lower latency 5G network currently covers 3.7 million
enabled Standalone (SA) 5G functionality and a more stable connection, especially people, equivalent to around two-thirds of
across its entire 5G network. The cellco’s when indoors. In addition, the upgrade the Finnish population. The NSA network
SA 5G core went live in 20 locations in allows Network Slicing, meaning that combines 3.5GHz spectrum with 4G
November 2021 but has now been extended features previously restricted to private frequencies in the 700MHz band, while
in line with Telia’s Non-Standalone (NSA) networks will now be available on public the SA network exclusively leverages the
5G footprint. Telia notes that SA 5G users networks. According to its website, Telia’s 3.5GHz band.

China Telecom Trials FAST Solution to Deepen 5G Multi-Frequency Co-

Ordination

ZTE Corporation and the Hunan Branch of
China Telecom – in cooperation with Qual-
comm Technologies – have completed
an end-to-end trial of a Fusion Assisting
Super TDD (FAST) solution. By flexibly ag-
gregating three frequency carriers in the
2.1GHz and 3.5GHz bands, the solution
significantly improved 5G uplink/downlink
throughput. This trial showed that the FAST
solution offers excellent spectrum harmon-
isation for coverage and capacity both in
downlink and uplink. The Hunan Branch of
China Telecom deployed the FAST solution
in its commercial network in Changsha
city, bolstered with ZTE RAN system and
a smartphone test device powered by the
Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, er aggregation (3C) of 2.1GHz and 3.5GHz Tx Switching of Rel-16, Uplink Time Division
Qualcomm Technologies’ fourth genera- with up to 240MHz aggregation bandwidth Mode Carrier Aggregation (UL TDM CA) of
tion 5G modem-to-antenna solution. The achieved a maximum downlink data rate of 2.1GHz and 3.5GHz is enabled to boost up-
commercial trial of downlink tri-band carri- 3.9Gbps. In addition, with the feature of UL link data rate up to 511Mbps.

Telekom Rolls Out 5G in 700MHz Band

Telekom Deutschland, the domestic fixed The new service, which utilizes 10MHz of connected in parallel to both the existing
and mobile unit of Deutsche Telekom (DT), spectrum, will be primarily used to improve core network and the 5G SA core network.
has announced that it has started using the mobile coverage in rural areas. More than At present, 8,000 Telekom antennas can
700MHz frequency band for its 5G network. 3,000 antennas are transmitting 5G at transmit signals with 5G SA. ‘In the course
700MHz, corresponding to about 1,100 an- of the expansion, the use of the 700MHz
tenna locations. Telekom’s 5G network is frequency band for 5G is the logical contin-
now using three frequency bands, namely uation of our spectrum strategy. We want to
700MHz, 2100MHz and 3.7GHz, providing offer our customers the best network at all
combined coverage of 92% of the popu- times and everywhere. We are thus reach-
lation. More than 67,000 5G antennas are ing even more people nationwide with fast
transmitting on Telekom’s network; 3.7GHz internet and improving 5G coverage in rural
services are available in more than 400 cit- areas. This is how we create a real value for
ies and towns, while all sites using 3.7GHz our customers,’ said Walter Goldenits, head
and 700MHz frequencies also support 5G of technology at DT.
Standalone (5G SA) technology. They are

101 MAY-JUNE 2022