Elisa took yet another step towards 5G networks, when VR, AR and game applications were tested in a 5G network that Elisa and Huawei had built in Pasila, Helsinki.
The 5G network operates at the 3.5 GHz frequency, which is the most important 5G frequency band. The event also saw Europe’s first 5G gaming experience.
The test was the most comprehensive 5G test so far, where also service developers attended alongside Elisa and Huawei. A speed of 1,4 Gbit/s was reached between the base station and the terminal during the test. It was also possible to use virtual reality services and typical internet such as Skype, WhatsApp and YouTube were used fluently in 5G network.
5G is just around the corner, and we believe that we will start to see applications that utilize the 5G network already in 2018. We are focusing on 5G, and we are engaged in a great deal of cooperation with our partners to test and develop new technologies, says Kalle Lehtinen, CTO at Elisa.
Huawei’s pre-commercial terminal devices intended for home use were used for the first time at the event. The first commercial terminal devices are expected to be on the market in 2018 and 2019.
– Elisa is an excellent partner to test and develop new technologies, because Elisa is a pioneer in technology and ready to deploy the 5G network. Huawei is the 5G technology leader in both networks and terminal devices, and we are very satisfied with the cooperation projects we have implemented with Elisa, says Liu Dawei, CEO of Huawei Finland Oy.
Service providers Directive Games, Fake Production, Lyfta, Reaktor and Umbra presented services of the future at the test event in real time over the 5G network.
Towards a commercial 5G network
The first commercial 5G networks will be seen most likely in Europe already in 2019. To build a 5G network in Finland requires that the 3.5 GHz frequency is licenced for 5G operation during 2018.
5G makes the development of totally new type of applications possible, with ten times faster mobile broadband speeds. These future high-speed connections enable larger amounts of data to be transferred in the current download times, which in turn enables VR experiences, like we have seen today, which require great amounts of data to be transferred, says Lehtinen in summary.