South Korea's LG U+ and Huawei have completed what they said was the world's first large-scale 5G network test in a pre-commercial environment.
The trial in Seoul's Gangnam District involved the use of a network consisting of both 3.5-GHz and 28-GHz base stations, and forms part of the preparations for the planned commercial launch of a 5G network in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The trial also helped verify the technologies of IPTV 4K video and other future-proofed commercial 5G services, as well as dual connectivity and inter-cell handovers under continuous networking conditions.
During the trial in a typical dense urban area, the companies achieved average data rates of 1Gbps over the low band and more than 5Gbps for dual connectivity under both low and high bands. A peak data rate of 20Gbps was recorded through this dual connectivity.
The 5G IPTV 4K demonstration was achieved with a 5G tour bus, and a VR drone designed by Huawei's Wireless X Labs was also demonstrated in an experience room at the LG U+ headquarters.
"The world's first large-scale joint 5G pre-commercial test indicated a significant breakthrough in 5G,” commented Kim Dae Hee, vice president of the LG U+ 5G strategy unit.
“We believe that Huawei is set to help LG U+ implement the world’s first commercial 5G network over 3.5-GHz."