Ericsson and MediaTek have partnered to make a 5G dual connectivity breakthrough, combining the superior coverage of sub-6GHz bands with the lightning speeds of millimeter wave on a commercial chipset, achieving speeds up to 5.1Gbps.
To achieve these speeds the two companies have combined 800MHz of high-band spectrum and 60MHz of mid-band spectrum, which, they say, is the first time that millimeter wave (mmWave) has been tested in a 5G Standalone (5G SA) mode, combined with mid-band spectrum.
"It will enable millimeter wave in the multi-layer network with speeds of over 5Gbps."
Hannes Ekstrom, Ericsson.
“This 5G technology breakthrough with our partner MediaTek is the direct result of our efforts to meet the evolving connectivity needs of our customers worldwide,” said Hannes Ekstrom, head of product line 5G RAN at Ericsson. “We believe that New Radio Dual Connectivity will be a very appealing option to many customers globally as part of their 5G Standalone deployment strategies. It will enable millimeter wave in the multi-layer network with speeds of over 5Gbps. Greater capacity and coverage – combined with SA capabilities such as ultra-low latency – will push the boundaries of 5G technology that will benefit consumers and industry.”
Close collaboration with Ericsson
The 5G dual connectivity test, also known as New Radio (NR) DC, was performed in a millimeter wave (mmWave) chamber, with the signal sent over-the-air to a device with a MediaTek M80 5G modem, all using Ericsson Radio System hardware and Ericsson’s 5G Core.
“NR Dual Connectivity is one of the latest 5G technology developments that will directly contribute to next generation 5G services."
JS Pan, MediaTek.
“Through this close collaboration with Ericsson, MediaTek has successfully demonstrated the future-proof capability of its M80 5G modem,” said JS Pan, general manager of wireless communication system and partnership at MediaTek. “NR Dual Connectivity is one of the latest 5G technology developments that will directly contribute to next generation 5G services, growing capacity, performance and enabling innovative new use-cases across business, industry and consumer ecosystems.”
NR DC is enabled by the signaling and high peak rate support in Ericsson’s 5G Core, 5G radio access network (Ericsson Radio System) and user equipment (UE), such as the MediaTek M80 modem. And the NR DC functionality will be commercially available in Q3 of 2021.
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