Nokia claims 5G speed world record with Turk Telekom

Nokia is working with Turkish manufacturer Karel to produce base stations locally in order to cater for Turkey's imminent 5G boom.

The two hit 4.5Gbps on live commercial equipment in mmWave spectrum, as the operator looks ahead to 6G.

Nokia said it and Turk Telekom set a record 5G speed record of more than 4.5Gbps during a trial in the Turkish capital, Ankara (pictured).

The record is claimed to be highest achieved on 5G New Radio (5GNR) only, using Nokia’s AirScale 5G RAN solution on 26 GHz mmWave spectrum, 800 MHz bandwidth on a single user device.

mmWave spectrum

During the trial, Nokia’s AirScale Base Station connected with a mobile device to transfer data across Turk Telekom’s 26Ghz mmWave spectrum at a peak speed of 4.5 Gbps.

The high speeds achieved during the trial pave the way for high bandwidth and latency-sensitive enterprise services, such as remotely controlled devices for industrial needs or mission-critical applications.

On the consumer side, the idea is that such networks will provide VR/AR experiences, enable them to download 4K video content or games in seconds, and support fixed wireless access connectivity.

Terahertz and 6G ahead

Yusuf Kıraç, Chief Technology Officer at Turk Telekom, said: “During the trial, we solely used mmWave spectrum over the 5G test network which reached record speeds above 4.5Gbps…these technologies also act as a bridge to develop and pave the way for “Terahertz” systems that provide ultra-high-speed and capacity, which are planned to be used in 6G.

“Being the most prepared operator in Turkey for 5G, thanks to our strong fibre infrastructure, we are delighted to conclude another important milestone in this technology with a record. We will continue to lead the development of all new generation technologies in our country, as we are doing today.”

Experience

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said, “Despite the launch of commercial 5G networks in many countries, 5G trials still play an important role in the development of faster and better networks…we are constantly refining and improving how we build and manage 5G networks, and this is in no small part thanks to the nearly 200 5G trials, live operator networks and private wireless deployments we have delivered globally.”