Intel and Ericsson achieve milestone with first 3GPP NR-compliant end-to-end data call over 39 GHz spectrum

A photo shows Intel Corporation’s Santa Clara, California, laboratory from which company engineers connected the first 3GPP New Radio (NR) 5G-compliant live data call operating over 39GHz band connecting to a lab in Kista, Sweden. (Credit: Intel Corporation)

What’s New: Intel and Ericsson delivered a first 3GPP New Radio (NR) 5G-compliant live data call operating over the 39 GHz band using Intel’s RF mm-Wave chip with Ericsson Radio System commercial equipment including the 5G NR radio AIR 5331, baseband and Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform. ** The 5G trial was the first live multivendor data call over the 39 GHz spectrum and was demonstrated in labs in Kista, Sweden, and Santa Clara, California.

“This live 5G demonstration on the 39 GHz band signifies how close 5G commercial services are to reality in North America. Using the Intel 5G Mobile Trial Platform configured with a 39 GHz RF chip/antenna, we successfully demonstrated a 3GPP-compliant data call performed connecting to an Ericsson commercial 5G g-NB base station, an important step in ensuring our commercial platforms are field ready for deployment in 2019.” –Asha Keddy, vice president Next Generation and Standards at Intel

Why It Matters: The 39 GHz band is an important spectrum for North American commercial deployment beginning in 2019 – as all major operators plan to use this band. U.S. operator rollouts using 39 GHz mmWave will deliver an ultra-fast experience with 5G data speed. This is expected to drive a new era of communications and customer services.

What It Means: This latest accomplishment builds on the earlier 3GPP NR-compliant calls undertaken at 3.5 GHz between Intel and Ericsson, showing that both companies have moved towards global Interoperability across multiple bands.

Ericsson POV: “Completing this end-to-end data call on 39 GHz with Intel shows our commitment to realizing 5G in different spectrum bands,” said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson. “In July we did it on 3.5 GHz and now on 39 GHz, which will smoothen the path to 5G for our customers. Using commercial 5G radios for this multivendor interoperability milestone shows our progress towards making 5G a commercial reality.”