Using Huawei’s ‘proof of concept’ baseband unit, EE linked a virtualised 5G core to a 64x64 MIMO active antenna that broadcasts 5G signal. The test was carried out at the Huawei Global Mobile Broadband Forum. It showed that EE can provide a consistent 2.8 Gbps download speed with 5ms of latency.
Tom Bennett, EE’s director of network services and devices, said that this test can replicate the company’s success in the past where it became one of the first UK networks to begin rolling out 4G connectivity several years ago. He added that the test is a “huge leap forward” that will drive EE’s “ambitious rollout timetable to be first for 5G.”