Nokia and Qualcomm have announced that they’ve successfully completed their over-the-air (OTA) 5G NR data call tests. The two firms managed to conduct the calls in the mmWave and sub-6 GHz spectrum bands.
According to 5G.co.uk, 5G NR is the new air interface being built from the ground up for 5G. An air interface is the part of the circuit between the mobile device and the base station you’re currently connected to. With 5G NR, operators will improve the performance, flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of mobile networks.
Discussing the development, Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager of 4G/5G at Qualcomm, said:
“These successful data calls are a significant step in making 5G a commercial reality in early 2019, and this milestone with Nokia will help enable 5G network deployments across various operators and regions around the world. We will continue to work together to ensure end users have access to the technologies needed to experience transformative 5G experiences.”
Meanwhile, the president of mobile networks at Nokia, Tommi Uitto said:
“These key milestone tests with Qualcomm Technologies show the flexibility and capabilities of our AirScale radio access technology to deliver on the promise of commercial 5G. We continue to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies to ensure our customers can unleash the power of their commercial 5G networks, to support the many new and diverse applications that will meet the demands of people and connected things, as they begin to launch commercial services in early 2019.”
Achieving OTA calls over 5G NR is a key milestone to bringing 5G to customers. The two firms said they remain committed to delivering solutions to enable commercial networks and 5G-equipped mobile devices from early next year in markets such as the U.S., Korea, Europe, Australia, Japan, and China.