AIS, Qualcomm and ZTE trial 5G NR-DC using 2.6 GHz and 26 GHz bands

5G NR-DC AIS ZTE Qualcomm
Image credit: ZTE

AIS, Qualcomm Technologies and ZTE have announced what they say is the world’s first 5G NR-DC (New Radio Dual Connectivity) showcase in the field that combines the 2.6 GHz and 26 GHz bands, achieving 8.5 Gbps peak downlink speed and 2.17 Gbps peak uplink speed with a single mobile device.

The combination of two major 5G frequency bands – sub-6 GHz and 5G mmWave – will enhance the capabilities of Thailand’s 5G network and extend the 5G application landscape, the companies said.

The test was conducted at the AIS commercial 5G site in Korat, Thailand, using a smartphone form-factor test device powered by Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, and ZTE latest mmWave AAU network infrastructure equipment.

The NR-DC was implemented with one 100-MHz carrier in 2.6 GHz, and four 200-MHz carriers in 26 GHz. The test achieved 8.5 Gbps peak downlink speed and 2.17 Gbps peak uplink speed, demonstrating the extraordinary capability and flexibility of NR-DC for diversified requirements from individual consumers and industry leaders.

This NR-DC showcase drives the commercial progress of 5G mmWave into the fast lane in Thailand, said Wasit Wattanasap, head of Nationwide Operation and Support Business Unit at AIS.

“We are the licensee holding the most spectrum in low band, mid band and high band or mmWave, [the latter of] which has the outstanding feature of rapid data transmission with low latency. We have never stopped deploying innovations to level up the network, including 5G NSA/ SA, Voice over New Radio (VoNR) and 5G carrier aggregation (CA), to provide increasingly improved experiences to Thai customers, which was our intention when we joined the auction for spectrum.”

Wasit said the collaboration with ZTE and Qualcomm to jointly trial 5G NR-DC technology was a “crucial step” to combine two different 5G spectrums.

“This trial gave us a wider channel for the signal and extremely low latency. For instance, there could be streaming games online (cloud game), controlling driverless vehicles and commanding robots remotely in real-time. Moreover, the trial supports the development of new models of chipsets in the future, to speed up data transfer even more.”

ST Liew, VP of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies Asia-Pacific and President of Qualcomm South East Asia, commented that the collaboration with AIS and ZTE “proves the feasibility of deploying 5G mmWave in Thailand.”

“We’re pleased to work with AIS and Qualcomm Technologies to achieve this milestone, which lays a technology validation foundation for 5G mmWave commercialization,” said Mei Zhong Hua, Senior Vice President of ZTE.

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