Qualcomm Introduced New 5G Test Network in Europe

Qualcomm announced an expansion of its 5G NR testing facilities in Europe to include a new lab dedicated to end-to-end over-the-air configurations for 5G NR millimeter wave. Located at Qualcomm’s R&D center in Farnborough, UK, the new lab and test facility will demonstrate and facilitate commercialization of 5G NR mmWave capabilities by allowing OEMs and European operators to test and fine-tune mmWave devices and network configurations.

On the heels of the new 5G R&D facility launching, Qualcomm and Sony have announced that Sony will be the first OEM to take advantage of the lab. Japanese company will provide pre-commercial mmWave mobile form factor devices to the facility to test the capacity, throughput, latency and reliability of mmWave in multiple deployment scenarios.

“This new facility is part of the continuous investment that Qualcomm is making in 5G research,“ said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm Europe. “While the initial European industry focus is currently on sub-6 5G deployments, this facility will provide our innovative customers with the opportunity to see and test the benefits of 5G NR mmWave technology for themselves. Utilizing all types of spectrum, including low, mid and high bands, is critical for the success of 5G. Deployments across these bands will work hand-in-hand to bring consumers exciting new user experiences.“

The end-to-end testing is based on implementations of the 3GPP 5G NR Release 15 standards. The mobile test devices are based on the Snapdragon X50 5G and X55 5G modem family and antenna modules with integrated transceiver and Qualcomm RFFE solutions. The network will later enable concepts that are expected to be supported from Release 16 and beyond based on flexible gNodeB base stations and the 5G Next-Gen Core network.