Samsung Electronics heralded new milestones in Australia, where it recently demonstrated record-setting average downlink speeds of 1.75 Gbps in a field trial with NBN Co. using 28 GHz 5G millimeter wave fixed wireless access (FWA) gear.
It’s the farthest 5G mmWave FWA connection recorded by Samsung, covering a distance of 10 kilometers, or about 6.2 miles. Average uplink speeds were 61.5 Mbps.
Samsung explained that to achieve average downlink speeds of 1.75 Gbps at such extended range, the trial used eight component carriers (8 CC), which is an aggregation of 800 MHz of mmWave spectrum. T
At its peak, the company also reached a top downlink speed of 2.7 Gbps over a 10 km distance from the radio.
“The results of these trials with Samsung are a significant milestone and demonstrate how we are pushing the boundaries of innovation in support of the digital capabilities in Australia,” said NBN CTO Ray Owen in a press release. “As we roll out the next evolution of our network to extend its reach for the benefit of homes and businesses across the country, we are excited to demonstrate the potential for 5G mmWave.”
NBN will be among the first in the world to deploy 5G mmWave technology at this scale, and achievements like Samsung’s 10 km milestone will pave the way for further developments in the ecosystem, he added.
The telco is getting a big assist from the Australian government, which is contributing $310 million. NBN is picking up the tab for $175 million of the investment in its fixed wireless network.
NBN will use software enhancements and advances in 5G technology – in particular, 5G mmWave technology – to extend the reach of the existing fixed wireless footprint by up to 50%. Plans are afoot to introduce two new wholesale high-speed tiers.
“This new 5G record proves the massive potential of mmWave technology, and its ability to deliver enhanced connectivity and capacity for addressing the last mile challenges in rural areas,” said Junehee Lee, EVP and head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. “We are excited to work with nbn to push the boundaries of 5G technology even further in Australia and tap the power of mmWave for customer benefit.”
While mmWave initially was used for deployments in highly dense urban areas in the U.S., some operators are using it to extend into rural and remote areas where fiber can’t reach. UScellular, for one, is using mmWave in its more rural markets. In 2021, it demonstrated 1 Gbps speeds across 4.35 miles in a fixed wireless deployment.
For Samsung’s trial in Australia, the vendor used its 28 GHz Compact Macro and third-party 5G mmWave customer premise equipment (CPE). Samsung described its Compact Macro as the industry’s first integrated radio for mmWave spectrum, bringing together a baseband, radio and antenna into a single form factor.
The compact solution can support all frequencies within the mmWave spectrum, simplifying deployment, and is currently deployed in commercial 5G networks across the globe, including Japan, Korea and the U.S., according to Samsung.