Ericsson, T-Mobile, and Qualcomm Conduct 5G Data Session on Low-Band Spectrum

Ericsson, T-Mobile, and Qualcomm completed the world’s first low-band 5G-New Radio (NR) data session on a commercial 5G modem. Testing took place in T-Mobile’s lab in Bellevue, Washington.

The data session was completed on a mobile test device powered by the second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem, RF transceiver and RF Front-End (RFFE) solution, as well as commercial 5G radios from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. The demonstration is an important step toward the launch of the first commercial 5G network using low-band spectrum.

“This is a key step toward achieving our vision of 5G for All,“ said Neville Ray, CTO, T-Mobile. “This modem will power devices that tap into the 600 MHz low-band spectrum we’ll use to blanket the country with 5G. And we’re not stopping there. If regulators approve our merger with Sprint, we’ll have the crucial mid-band spectrum and resources needed to supercharge our network and deliver broad AND deep, transformational 5G across the U.S.“

Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm Incorporated, said that the data call marks a significant milestone in 5G’s ongoing rollout across the United States, paving the way for the launch of commercial networks and devices on low-band FDD spectrum. “This call demonstrates the ability to dramatically increase 5G’s global footprint and we look forward to continuing our work to unlock the full potential of 5G for consumers and new industries around the world.“

“Ericsson and Qualcomm have successfully tested and commercialized 5G globally across different spectrum bands and, together with T-Mobile, we have now reached another major milestone as we are enabling 5G on low bands. This shows that our industry is now ready for building wider 5G coverage that will enhance end-user experience,“ said Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President, Head of Business Area Networks, Ericsson.