Nokia and AT&T have completed fixed wireless 5G tests with AT&T’s Internet TV streaming service, DIRECTV NOW in the 39 GHz band.
The Finland-based Nokia achieved this world’s first by delivering 39 GHz system based on its AirScale radio access platform. The 5G test showed how new services can be delivered with new technologies operating at high frequencies.
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Ricky Corker, head of North America, Nokia, was instrumental in conducting the 5G trials with AT&T in the US.
Both the 39 GHz band and the 28 GHz band are particularly attractive due to the large bandwidth available. Since the 39 GHz spectrum band has more bandwidth available it is a strong candidate to support 5G deployments.
Nokia began testing mmWave technology with AT&T in 2016. For its recent tests of DIRECTV NOW over 39 GHz, Nokia delivered a 5G radio access system, conducting the trial at the AT&T Labs facility in Middletown, New Jersey.
The results from this 5G trial will help advance the viability of 39 GHz. The testing of DIRECTV NOW demonstrates 5G’s promise of providing new experiences to end users with its ultra-low network latency and higher throughput.
“With this trial, we’re doing something that no other operator has done – regionally or globally. We expect 39 GHz to be an important 5G band in the United States, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Nokia to further advance 5G technology in this band,” said Tom Keathley, senior vice president, Wireless Network Architecture and Design, AT&T.
