By Emeka Aginam

Although the next big generation of mobile networking, known as 5G, is not expected to be commercially available until 2020, Ericsson has already demonstrated its technology feat with the recent live 5G test networks in Sweden and the United States of America, saying that it would boost the future of wireless technology.
Accordingly, Ericsson’s latest 5G technology breakthrough provides a way to deliver drop-free, higher capacity mobile connections for both people and things, while making the most of available spectrum.

While the 5G innovation doubles mobile data speeds with no additional spectrum, the new development, Ericsson said would allow mobile operators, eco-system partners, academia, tech media and analysts to experience the future of wireless.

Speaking on the latest innovation, Mischa Dohler, Chair Professor of Wireless Communications and Head of the Centre for Telecommunications Research (CTR), King’s College London, said that, “High-speed, highly reliable mobile networks are foundational to the tactile internet and the internet of skills that it will enable.

“ The results that are being achieved in Ericsson’s live 5G test networks much faster data rates, more resilient connections and squeezing capacity out of spectrum are all critical to unleashing the new use cases that will drive 5G.”

Ericsson’s new 5G air interface, he added improves reliability, performance and spectrum efficiency to address IoT and Internet of Skills applications, and smartphone proliferation, adding that the industry first multipoint connectivity with distributed MIMO, connects 5G mobile device to multiple 5G radio sites, delivering multiple MIMO streams, in one frequency band.

5G, according to him will evolve the entire communication eco-system, from devices to mobile access, IP core and into the cloud.
He further explained that Ericsson’s latest 5G test network innovations focus on the interactions between mobile devices and the radio access network, indoors and outside.

Also speaking, Dr. Håkan Andersson, 5G Strategic Product Manager, Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, explained that, “To be ready for commercial networks in 2020, 5G research and development has to come out of the labs and into live test networks.

Multipoint Connectivity with Distributed MIMO, supported on Ericsson’s 5G air interface, is just the latest example of 5G innovation moving into live test network implementation.”

However, the 5G breakthrough affords a way to deliver drop-free, higher capacity mobile connections for both people and things while making the most of available spectrum.
Accordingly, this will allow mobile device to be connected to more than one 5G cell site at the

Today, your LTE smartphone, according to Ericsson receives transmissions from one cell site at a time, and many different techniques are used to ensure that you stay connected as you move between cells.

But, with smartphone subscriptions set to more than double, driving an 8-fold increase in traffic by the end of 2020, today’s mobile technology, Ericsson said will not be enough to maintain high quality connections as traffic grows.

Advanced LTE techniques, such as carrier aggregation, Ericsson said deliver more capacity by bringing together multiple frequency bands, but added that spectrum will always be a limited resource.

“The challenge is exacerbated by a growing number of connected things, the so-called Internet of Things or IoT, jockeying for mobile network links.
“The 5G mobile device connects to more than one 5G cell site at the same time. This is known as 5G multipoint connectivity. It provides the resiliency to ensure that the 5G device maintains a high-quality connection with the 5G network as it moves between cells.

“It also enables the transmission of different sets of multiple data signals (Multiple Input Multiple Output, or MIMO, streams) to the mobile device over the same frequency band. This is called distributed MIMO, and it can increase downlink throughput by 100%. And, because it is all transmitted in the same frequency band, it makes very efficient use of available spectrum. The combined technical capability is called Multipoint Connectivity with Distributed MIMO”, Ericsson explained.