Optus demonstrates a 5G innovation

Optus, in partnership with Ericsson and MediaTek, has completed an Australian first demonstration with the use of new radio dual connectivity (NR-DC) technology. The demonstration in Sydney showcased the use of NR-DC technology to aggregate its mid-band 3500 megahertz spectrum assets with its mmWave 26 gigahertz spectrum to boost the 5G coverage area while maintaining fast 5G speeds.

Using MediaTek’s M80 test platform and Ericsson’s RAN Compute (basebands) and 5G radios, the demonstration highlights the benefits of utilising both spectrum bands simultaneously, with average and peak 5G speeds expected to increase significantly as well as the ability to extend mmWave coverage over a greater distance. Optus plans to roll out this new capability across its 5G network later this year as commercial mmWave devices begin to hit the market.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/SasinParaksa