Technical 5G performance requirements set by the ITU-R in its ITU-R M.2410-0 report released in November 2017

  • The minimum requirements for downlink peak data rate: 20 Gbps
  • The minimum requirements for uplink peak data rate: 10 Gbps
  • Target downlink “user experienced data rate”: 100 Mbps
  • Target uplink “user experienced data rate”: 50 Mbps
  • Downlink peak spectral efficiency is 30 bps/Hz
  • Uplink peak spectral efficiency: 15 bps/Hz
  • Minimum requirement for user plane latency for eMBB: 4ms
  • Minimum requirement for user plane latency for uRLLC: 1ms
  • Minimum requirement for control plane latency: 20ms
  • A lower control plane latency of around 10 ms is encouraged though
  • Minimum requirement for connection density: 1 million devices per km2.
  • Requirement for bandwidth: at least 100 MHz
  • Bandwidths up to 1 GHz are required for higher frequencies (above 6 GHz)
  • Four classes of mobility defined:
    • Stationary: 0 km/h
    • Pedestrian: 0km/h to 10 km/h
    • Vehicular: 10km/h to 120 km/h
    • High-speed vehicular: 120 km/h to 500 km/h

Commercial 5G networks

Many operators make no promise on speeds, just mention that 5G speeds are available without defining what will be the 5G speed.

When operators promote speeds for 5G, they focus on the maximum speed theoretically reachable. Some players chose to set prices based on guaranteed speed while most operators released 5G plans based on the number of Gbps included.

Some players stress the minimum guaranteed 5G speed available on the network.

5G download speeds measured are much faster than 4G at world level with national and player discrepancies.

Latest News in Europe

Croatian 5G auction concluded

Croatia’s regulator HAKOM has awarded 5G spectrum at national level in the 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz bands, and at regional level in the 3600 MHz band.

France publishes 5G industry guides

Ericsson and ABB have teamed up to showcase their contributions to the French Industrial 5G strategy. The guides explain innovative 5G applications, including those deployed at the Ford Motors factory in Spain.

Huawei promotes 5.5G vision at Mobile World Congress

The company proposed a new standard for 5G at a summit in Barcelona.

Orange secures €500 million loan for 4G, 5G network rollout

The French mobile operator has secured a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Deutsche Telekom says its 5G network reaches 95% of the population

The German mobile operator has announced a significant expansion of its 5G network.

GSMA launches new initiative to open up mobile network APIs

The industry body is calling the programme the Open Gateway initiative.

Apple iPhone to add standalone 5G support

The next version of the iOS operating system will enable a toggle for 5G standalone services.

Vodafone unveils ‘5G in a box’ prototype

The operator says the prototype will enable small businesses and households to extend 5G coverage and increase capacity.

Nokia and Bosch develop 5G positioning system

The companies have created a system which tracks a device’s location. The technology is intended for Industry 4.0 use cases.

all news in Europe
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