Nokia and BT Group have successfully aggregated the 5G Standalone (SA) spectrum using 5CC carrier aggregation, making BT the first European operator to achieve the milestone.
The two used a device powered by a Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF system from Qualcomm Technologies.
5CC CA will boost the data rates available to customers in areas of high demand by combining all mid-band radio spectrum when the 5G SA device requires a high-speed connection.
Set to launch later this year, EE’s 5G SA network will be able to leverage a low-frequency sixth carrier to provide a better experience in more places, including indoors.
In 2023, BT and Nokia demonstrated 4CC CA in 5G SA downlink with concurrent 2CC CA in 5G uplink. With today’s announcement, the companies reached the next milestone, achieving further performance uplift in connections from the device to the network by increasing throughput and capacity.
“This latest milestone achieved with Nokia and Qualcomm Technologies enhances 5G SA performance as we work towards the launch of our network, building further on the benefits of carrier aggregation in delivering greater throughput and speeds to customers,” said Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group. “This is particularly important as more and more devices come to market with 5CC CA capabilities. We are focused on maximising our spectrum assets to deliver the very best experience to our customers with that in mind.”
The tests were conducted in the field on live network spectrum at Adastral Park, BT’s headquarters for R&D, using Nokia’s 5G AirScale portfolio and a device powered by Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF system from Qualcomm Technologies.
Mark Atkinson, SVP and head of RAN at Nokia said, “This successful trial with our long-standing partner, BT is another great example of Nokia’s clear leadership in 5G carrier aggregation technology. Multi-component carrier aggregation helps mobile operators to maximise their radio network assets and provide the highest 5G data rates at more locations to subscribers.”