Nokia, Elisa and Qualcomm break the Finnish 5G speed record at 8Gbps

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The 5G speed record in Finland has been broken by delivering 8Gbps for the first time, in a test that served 5G to two mmWave-capable devices connected simultaneously.

Elisa's flagship store in Helsinki.
(Image credit: Elisa.)

Although 5G speeds vary significantly, depending on the kind of networking technology that you’re connecting to, it hasn’t stopped companies trying to grab headlines for the fastest connections. And today, Nokia, Elisa and Qualcomm Technologies have announced that they have achieved the world’s fastest 5G speeds on a commercial network in Finland, delivering speed up to 8Gbps.

The record was achieved by serving two Qualcomm 5G mmWave devices, connected simultaneously to Elisa’s network, which is powered by Nokia 5G equipment.

"The throughputs achieved today show the true potential for mmWave deployments."

Enrico Salvatori, Qualcomm.

“We are incredibly proud of this collaboration on this landmark event, which represents a significant milestone for 5G mmWave,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president at Qualcomm. “Qualcomm Technologies’ research and development efforts to drive the next generation of wireless connectivity, along with our work with Elisa and Nokia, has made this milestone a commercial reality. The throughputs achieved today show the true potential for mmWave deployments and we are excited to continue collaborating with industry leaders to make 5G mmWave a commercial reality.”

A 5G first for Finland

The 5G speed record was broken at Elisa’s flagship store, situated in Helsinki, using Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G smartphone form factor test devices. And beyond the PR value of hitting 8Gbps, it also backs up Elisa’s commitment to transform Finland into a world-leader in connectivity.

"Reaching 8Gbps is a natural step in our 5G development and we want to explore the possibilities 5G offers."

Sami Komulainen, Elisa.

“This is an important development and another step in our efforts to bring the fastest speeds and best 5G experiences to our customers,” said Sami Komulainen, executive vice president of production at Elisa. “Elisa was the first in Finland and amongst first in the world to deploy 5G. Reaching 8Gbps is a natural step in our 5G development and we want to explore the possibilities 5G offers and push the technology further to benefit our customers.”

To complete the record-breaking attempt, the team used a base station utilizing two Nokia AirScale radios, each using 800 MHz of commercial millimeter wave 5G spectrum at 26 GHz. This provided connectivity to two Qualcomm devices with Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF Systems, with each device reaching 4 Gbps peak speeds from the base station.

“We are proud to work with our partners on this important and significant achievement that will deliver incredible 5G experiences to people and businesses in Finland,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia. “This is another milestone in the development of 5G services and demonstrates the capacity of our commercially deployed 5G solutions.”  

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.