Telstra, Ericsson, Qualcomm Achieve World First, Record of 5Gbps 5G Download Speed on Commercial Network

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Telstra, in collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the successful completion of a new 5G maximum download speed record on a commercial network of 5Gbps for a single user. The 5G NR data call was performed at the 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast using the commercial production network. 

This world first, using the commercial production network and a smartphone form factor mobile test device, is a result of the continued effort to not only increase the speed capability of the network for all Telstra customers but unlock key learnings for Telstra to implement in the immediate future. The achievement builds on a previous 4.2Gbps maximum download speed capability achieved in September 2020. The milestone will see Telstra customers experience a more advanced network performance, paving the way for greater capacity and capabilities on the network.

The three companies have reached a new maximum throughput speed record in the live network with the Ericsson Radio System complete base station for millimeter wave (mmWave), the Streetmacro 6701. The throughput was achieved via NR carrier aggregation (CA) of eight 100MHz n257 mmWave carriers combined with LTE CA of two 20MHz Band 7 carriers – in total 840MHz spectrum was used for single user, which is a major milestone for wireless communication. The device used was a smartphone form factor mobile test device, powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X60 5G Modem-RF System with 3rd generation Qualcomm® QTM535 mmWave antenna modules.

Nikos Katinakis, group executive networks and IT, Telstra says, “We’re pleased to have yet again increased our existing network peak speed record as we deploy 5G and ready ourselves for this year’s upcoming mmWave spectrum auction. In an era of increased demand for flawless connectivity, it gives us great pleasure to provide our customers with enhanced network capabilities such as the use of mmWave and our other spectrum assets.”

Emilio Romeo, head, Ericsson Australia and New Zealand says, “Since achieving a world-first milestone with the 2Gbps LTE technology back in 2018, we have worked tirelessly with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies to consistently innovate and provide Australians with the best 5G technology. This announcement today is a testament to that dedication, and we look forward to seeing Australians reap the benefits as we move into 2021.”

Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. says, “We are proud to have been a part of this significant mmWave milestone of reaching download speeds of 5 Gbps. 5G mmWave will enable many new use cases for consumers and businesses as well as enable many of today’s mobile devices to take advantage of its enhanced network capacity, multi-gigabit speeds and low latency. We look forward to our close, ongoing collaboration with Telstra and Ericsson in driving commercial 5G mmWave in Australia in 2021.”