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New York, Aug 20, 2018: Verizon and its technology partner Nokia have aachieved a new milestone in their advancement to 5G technology by successfully transmitting the first ever 3GPP New Radio (NR) 5G signal to a receiver situated in a moving vehicle.
The two seamlessly handed off the signal from one radio sector to another. The test took place at Nokia’s campus in Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA, said Verizon in a statement. It follows the companies’ successful completion of a series of outdoor data sessions over the 5G NR standard, and the successful multi-carrier aggregation to boost those signals into Gbps range, that took place in June – also both industry firsts.
In the test, a data transmission on 28 GHz spectrum was sent from two 5G NR radios on the Nokia building to a vehicle outfitted with a receiver and equipment to measure transmission statistics. The vehicle traveled between the two radios, achieving seamless 5G NR Layer 3 3GPP-compliant mobility handoff of the signal between the two sectors.
“Unlike some of the incremental 5G technology announcements we’ve seen lately, tests like the one we conducted are significant advancements in the development of 5G technology,” said Bill Stone, Vice-president, Technology Development and Planning for Verizon. “By taking these tests out of the lab and into the field, we’re replicating the experience users will ultimately have in a 5G mobility environment.”
Marc Rouanne, President, Mobile Networks, Nokia, said, “Enhanced mobile broadband is one of the first services being delivered on Nokia’s end-to-end 5G Future X portfolio. As a result, we can help our customers meet their early 5G deployment schedules and initial coverage demands.”
Verizon also announced it will be first to launch 5G residential broadband service in four markets in the US – Los Angeles, Sacramento, Houston and Indianapolis – in the second half of 2018, followed by a mobile 5G solution.