Ericsson has successfully achieved a peak data rate of more than 1 Gbps for a single user device in a recent 5G Standalone (SA) field trial. The trial was done over a live Citizen's Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) multi-operator, neutral host capable network at the company’s North American headquarters in Plano, Texas.

“We are excited to continue pushing the envelope of what is possible with 5G. Ericsson is committed to continue bringing the best technology to realize the full potential of 5G and CBRS early to the market to further catalyze the use of these advanced technologies,” said Paul Challoner, vice president of network product solutions for Ericsson North America.

The OnGo Alliance coordinated the interoperability of the CBRS ecosystem. The network where this trial took place is supported by a 5G core network as part of the 5G Distributed Innovation Network at Ericsson’s facility in North Texas. The network used the Radio 4408 for outdoor CBRS connectivity and the Radio Dot 4459 for indoor CBRS connectivity. Indoor coverage has been challenging for cellular networks, and this is the first time that indoor, over-the-air coverage through a shared spectrum has reached such a high data rate.

“Consumers and enterprises will benefit from the high performing 5G CBRS technology that Ericsson is introducing,” said Alan Ewing, executive director, OnGo Alliance. “Ongoing improvements to 5G technology for the CBRS ecosystem provide users with the highest performance and seamless connectivity, whether deployed standalone or with operator spectrum.”   

Key results of the field trial included:

  • Single CBRS user connection over 1 Gbps
  • 5G SA connection with CBRS spectrum
  • Seamless outdoor to indoor transitions.

Ericsson Radio Dot 4459 is the latest addition to the Ericsson Radio Dot portfolio. It is designed to support CBRS and C-band deployments. The new CBRS indoor Radio Dot uses advanced radio technologies such as 4x4 MIMO, 4G/5G mixed-mode operation, leverages the entire CBRS band (150 MHz) and supports up to five component carrier aggregation (5CC) on 4G and 5G carriers of up to 100 MHz.

Since its inception, CBRS as a shared spectrum has enabled innovative use cases over cellular networks. Now, with demonstrable 5G gigabit speeds indoors and advanced capabilities, enterprises can feel confident in deploying Private 5G networks with high speeds plus the additional benefits that come with 5G, including reliability, coverage and mobility.

Communication service providers can also leverage CBRS for supplemental capacity where needed, especially inside buildings and venues with no added complexity. This also means neutral host network operators can deploy the highest performing wireless network, bringing superior coverage and capacity to their enterprise and service provider clients.

This combination of 5G over CBRS will enable diverse new applications for enterprises and sectors such as healthcare, energy and transportation. It will spur the proliferation of private networks and further propel the Industry 4.0 evolution. This capability complements Ericsson’s 5G portfolio and underscores the importance of CBRS spectrum to the development and maturation of 5G.