Huawei and NTT DOCOMO, Japan's largest mobile communications carrier, conducted a 5G trial in Tokyo, demonstrating 4.52 Gbps downstream data rates at 28 GHz.

The base station was located on the viewing deck of Tokyo Skytree, at a height of 340 m, and the user equipment was on the roof of a shopping facility at Asakusa Station, a clear line-of-sight distance of 1.2 km.

With the base station antenna inside the viewing deck, the transmission and reception passed through the window glass, which attenuated the signals by some 10 dB, according to Huawei. Nonetheless, the trial demonstrated more than 4.52 Gbps downlink and 1.55 Gbps uplink.

Huawei provided the end-to-end network, including the core network, user equipment and the 28 GHz base station, which supports massive MIMO and beamforming.

Visitors observing the trial witnessed next-generation video communication using a Microsoft HoloLens, which Microsoft describes as the “first self-contained, holographic computer, enabling you to engage with your digital content and interact with holograms in the world around you.” According to Huawei, the link demonstrated smooth video, free of freezing and buffering, and clear voice calls.

Gan Bin, VP of Huawei’s 5G product line, said, “The high speed and long-distance support is one of important technical challenges for 5G millimeter wave conditions. This success makes us more confident in realizing the goal of commercializing 5G by 2020.”