5G Wireless Trial Planned in 15 GHz Spectrum

By Doug Lung
published

So far it seems that most "5G" wireless efforts have focused on spectrum well above the frequencies where countries are planning to reallocate from UHF TV broadcasting. Samsung's 5G technology relies on 28 GHz frequencies and recently announced outdoor 5G trials in Yokosuka, Japan will use 15 GHz frequency bands.

This latest trial is being conducted by NTT Docomo and Ericsson. Ericsson has developed wideband antenna technology along with radios and base-band equipment specifically for the NTT Docomo trial. The trial will cover technology areas related to macro- and small-cell architecture based on a heterogeneous network operating at 15 GHz.

"5G will be a key component in the industry's movement toward the Networked Society," said Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and CTO of Ericsson. "I'm excited about the new technologies that we are exploring in the joint trial collaboration with NTT Docomo. This is an important step in the industry transformation we are experiencing."

Seizo Onoe, NTT Docomo executive vice president and chief technical officer commented: "5G studies are starting to gain real momentum as we point toward 2020. We appreciate that 5G will provide significant performance enhancements to support future new applications that will impact both users and industry. We look forward to showing the potential of 5G radio access technologies via this experimental trial."

Learn more on Ericsson Labs' 5G technology website. MIT Technology review published information on some of Samsung's tests in the June 2013 article "5G" works with handsets in motion.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.