NBN Co and its technology partners have set a new world record for long-range millimetre-wave (mmWave) 5G transmission.
The Australian network operator worked with Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, and Casa Systems to achieve a stable mmWave 5G link covering 7.3 kilometres while delivering near-gigabit throughput.
Gavin Williams, Co-Chief Development Officer, Regional and Remote at NBN, said:
“The NBN fixed wireless network plays a vital role connecting Australians right across regional and rural parts of the country. We face some unique challenges, not least vast distances and harsh environments, that have always required a strong focus on innovation.
This long-range achievement is a very promising sign as we continue to develop our options to further improve performance and customer experience and plan to meet emerging demand on the network.”
mmWave 5G delivers the headline benefits associated with the latest mobile technology: extremely high speeds, large capacity, and low latency. Historically, the main limitation of mmWave has been propagation range and sensitivity to obstacles, which is why most deployments focus on dense urban areas.
A typical mmWave base station normally covers up to about one kilometre in ideal conditions, and in real environments — where terrain and obstructions come into play — effective coverage often drops to roughly 500 metres. Achieving stable connectivity at 7.3 kilometres therefore represents a significant engineering milestone for long-range fixed wireless scenarios.
NBN notes that the record was set under controlled, optimal conditions, and that wholesale speeds in everyday deployments will be lower than the roughly 1 Gbps observed during the trial due to equipment and broader network limitations.
Ray Owen, Co-Chief Technology Officer at NBN, added:
“This is a significant achievement for NBN and our technology partners, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, and Casa Systems, and we anticipate strong interest from the global technology community as we further develop these capabilities.
With industry development for mmWave largely focused on high-density urban environments, this trial helps prove the case for additional work to suit the unique requirements of the NBN fixed wireless network and other regional and rural use-cases around the world.”
The trial follows a previous demonstration three months earlier where NBN and its partners achieved roughly half the distance reached in this latest test. The organisation expects to continue refining its approach and explore further range improvements in subsequent trials.
Beyond the record itself, the exercise demonstrates potential pathways for using mmWave technology to enhance capacity and performance in non-urban and hard-to-reach areas, where traditional fibre or wide-area wireless options are costly or impractical.
(Image Credit: Frederik Lipfert)
Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss topics like this? Consider attending industry expos that gather experts in 5G, IoT, blockchain, AI, and cybersecurity to learn more about developments shaping network innovation and real-world deployments.