Nokia, Elisa and Qualcomm achieve 5G speed record in Finland

• Combined speeds from two devices hit 8 Gbps on a commercial 5G network on mmWave spectrum
• Supports low-latency, high-bandwidth services such as high-speed video downloads and VR/AR

Nokia, Elisa and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced that they have achieved the world’s fastest 5G speeds on a commercial network in Finland by delivering 8 Gbps for the first time serving two 5G mmWave devices connected simultaneously. The fast speed, which was showcased at Elisa’s flagship store in Helsinki, Finland, will support a range of new low-latency, high-bandwidth services, such as high-speed video downloads, mission-critical or virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications. The service is expected to be implemented in 2021.

The milestone was achieved by utilizing Nokia’s 5G mmWave technology and Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G smartphone form factor test devices over Elisa’s commercial 5G network. The high speed enables more high-bandwidth and latency-sensitive enterprise services, such as remotely controlled devices for industrial needs or mission-critical applications. The solution will also allow subscribers to enjoy unparalleled VR/AR experiences offered to audiences in massive stadium concerts, downloading 4K video content or triple-A games in a matter of seconds, as well as enabling enhanced capacity fixed wireless access connectivity as a fiber broadband alternative. The move supports Elisa’s pioneering efforts to digitize Finnish society as a global leader in 5G services.

The base station utilized two Nokia AirScale radios, each using 800 MHz of commercial millimeter wave 5G spectrum at 26 GHz. These provided connectivity to two 5G smartphone form factor test devices powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 5G Modem-RF System featuring second-generation Qualcomm® QTM525 mmWave antenna modules, with each device reaching 4 Gbps peak speeds from the base station.

Sami Komulainen, Executive Vice President, Production at Elisa, said: “This is an important development and another step in our efforts to bring the fastest speeds and best 5G experiences to our customers. 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.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, commented: “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. This is a another milestone in the development of 5G services and demonstrates the capacity of our commercially deployed 5G solutions.”  

Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA, said: “We are incredibly proud of this collaboration on this landmark event, which represents a significant milestone for 5G mmWave. 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.”

Resources

• Webpage: Elisa
• Webpage: Nokia AirScale
• Webpage: Qualcomm

About Elisa
Elisa is a pioneer in telecommunications and digital services. We serve approximately 2.8 million consumer, corporate and public administration organisation customers, and have over 6.3 million subscriptions in our extensive network. Cooperation with Vodafone and Tele2, among others, enables globally competitive services. Our core markets are Finland and Estonia, and we also provide digital services for international markets. Elisa’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. In 2019, our revenue was EUR 1.84 billion euros, and we employed 4,900 people. As a responsible Finnish market leader, our operations are guided by continuous improvement. We will be a carbon neutral company from 2020 onwards. Further information on www.elisa.com, Facebook (@elisasuomi) and Twitter (@ElisaOyj)

About Nokia
We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.