Nokia to showcase 30GBps speeds and ultra-dense networks in 5G MWC push

Nokia’s Bell Labs arm has demonstrated peak data speeds of more than 30GBps and more than one million simultaneous connections on the same cell.

The vendor said the demos were two potential features of forthcoming 5G networks, enabling the likes of self-driving cars and virtual reality.

The peak rates of 30GBps were achieved by aggregrating a range of different mobile and fixed technologies into one “ultra-capacity” stream.

The ultra dense network used a mix of new waveforms, connectionless messaging and application-based latency to minimise latencies and enable highly populated IoT networks.

Prof. Frank H.P. Fitzek, Deutsche Telekom Chair of the Communication Networks Group at Technische Universität Dresden, which is coordinating the 5G Lab Germany research project, said: “With our expertise in 5G communication systems, we are collaborating closely with Nokia to realise a new kind of low-latency 5G services also known as Tactile Internet.

“Low latency communication, together with security and resilience, enables ubiquitous steering and control of remote objects and devices like driverless connected cars, industry robots, and remote surgery. These capabilities improve efficiency and allow for new use cases in industry sectors like mobility, manufacturing, and healthcare.”

Nokia has promised to demonstrate a range of different 5G use cases at this month’s Mobile World Congress. Among these will be an industrial robotics network, which is run through a remote intelligence. Another is live multicasting in stadiums, allowing smartphone users to view instant replays and various camera angles with virtually no latency.

Marcus Weldon, President of Bell Labs and CTO at Nokia, said: “5G will give birth to the next phase of human possibilities, bringing about the automation of everything. This automation, driven by a smart, invisible network, will create new businesses, give rise to new services and, ultimately, free up more time for people.

“Nokia is working with our customers today to help build and plan for a journey that will transform network architectures, and have great impact on our lives.”