Nokia claims 5G throughput breakthrough and deploys first SE Asia 5G standalone RAN

Nokia has revealed that it has achieved a 5G speed record during a trial in Turkish capital Ankara, taking throughput over 4.5Gbps, and has been selected to support the first 5G standalone (SA) radio access network (RAN) sharing network in Southeast Asia.

The speed record was achieved during a trial with Turk Telekom and is the first to be achieved on 5G New Radio (5GNR) only, utilising Nokia’s AirScale 5G RAN technology on 26GHz mmWave spectrum, 800MHz bandwidth and a single user device. Nokia was selected by Turk Telekom to deliver the ultra-low latency, connectivity and capacity required to test the full range of 5G connectivity in the trial.

“During the trial, we solely used mmWave spectrum over the 5G test network which reached record speeds above 4.5Gbps,” said Yusuf Kıraç, chief technology officer at Turk Telekom. “Thanks to this technology, which provides numerous benefits for users and operators, we achieved the high speeds and large capacity targets promised by 5G.

“These technologies also act as a bridge to develop and pave the way for terahertz systems that provide ultra-high speed and capacity, which are planned to be used in 6G. Being the most prepared operator in Turkey for 5G, thanks to our strong fibre infrastructure, we are delighted to conclude another important milestone in this technology with a record. We will continue to lead the development of all new-generation technologies in our country.”

Nokia said that in the trial, the operator was effectively demonstrating how a 5G roll-out can improve service quality and download speeds for consumers, as well as supporting enterprise and business use cases, including Industry 4.0 and digital transformation.

In another operator deployment, Nokia also revealed that it had been selected by Antina Pte, a joint venture by Singapore mobile network operators M1 and StarHub, following a competitive tender process, to deploy 5G SA networks across the city-state.

The commercial deployment of a 5G SA network is seen as a way of introducing “compelling” new use cases and catering for the growing data demand in the country, putting Singapore at the forefront of 5G standalone technology in the region.

The partnership is also intended to enable Antina’s customers – M1, StarHub and other mobile service providers on wholesale arrangements – to benefit from a 5G SA network that is said to reduce complexity, increase cost-efficiencies and enable new use cases across entertainment, cloud gaming, transportation, education and healthcare.

Nokia will provide equipment from its AirScale portfolio and CloudRAN to build the RAN for the 5G SA infrastructure, using the 3.5GHz spectrum band. It will supply 5G base stations and its small cells technology for indoor coverage, as well as other radio access products.

Nokia said its 5G SA technology will provide Singaporean enterprises with the opportunity to explore multiple new use cases due to the network’s higher bandwidth, higher uplink speeds and lower latency. CloudRAN is also designed to enable Antina to build a more agile business, meet new traffic demands and make better use of spectrum, as well as optimise performance, mitigate costs and gain the flexibility to meet customer demands in the evolving 5G era.

The commercial launch of the 5G SA network is also regarded as underpinning the infrastructure for a vibrant 5G ecosystem in Singapore. “This is an important win for Nokia that demonstrates our leadership in commercial-grade CloudRAN as well as mobile operators’ trust in our capabilities for rapidly transitioning to 5G standalone networks,” said Tommi Uitto, Nokia president of mobile networks.

“We look forward to supporting Antina in the deployment of a successful roll-out of the 5G SA network in Singapore which aligns with the country’s vision of creating a world-class 5G infrastructure. We hope other global markets considering making the move to 5G SA will take note of Antina’s success.”