Ericsson, Intel and Telstra have successfully completed the first end-to-end non-standalone 5G data call on a commercial mobile network.
The call, attempted at the Australian telecommunications company’s 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast took 5G out of the lab and into a real-world, mobile network environment. It was the first 5G call over a 3.5GHz spectrum, bringing all three companies’ core components together for a commercial 5G network call.
It used Telstra’s retail SIM as well as the company’s own 5G NSA enabled commercial network using components supplied from Intel and Ericsson.
See also: “Fiendishly Complicated” 5G Networks: Exciting, Expensive, Ever Coming?
Telstra’s Group Managing Director Networks Mike Wright commented in a release:
“Demonstrating this 5G data call end-to-end using my own personal SIM card on Telstra’s mobile network is the closest any provider has come to making a ’true’ 5G call in the real world-environment, and marks another 5G first for Telstra.
“We continue to work with global technology companies Ericsson and Intel as well as global standards bodies to advance the deployment of commercial 5G capability in Australia.”
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This follows the recent 5G lab call conducted by Ericsson and Intel with Telstra and other 5G providers a few weeks ago.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks at Ericsson said: “We’re quickly moving towards 5G commercial reality. Achieving the first commercial data call with our partners Telstra and Intel shows the progress we’ve made from testing the technology in a lab to a 5G commercial network environment.
“5G is open for business and Ericsson is helping customers get it done.”
Asha Keddy, Vice President and General Manager, Intel Next Generation and Standards added: “Along with Ericsson and Telstra, Intel continues to demonstrate its strong 5G technical capability, as showcased by this first 5G data call on commercial infrastructure deployed in Telstra’s network.
“Intel will continue to collaborate on 5G tests and multiple use cases ahead of Telstra’s planned 5G commercial launch that will bring powerful, low-latency and high-bandwidth experiences to consumers.”
