Nokia, Japan’s Chubu Telecommunications to conduct 5G SA trial in sub-6GHz band

Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia said it is conducting a standalone (SA) 5G trial with Chubu Telecommunications (ctc), a KDDI subsidiary, in Japan using sub-6GHz spectrum band or the n79 band.

The trial seeks to validate commercial Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services including internet and telephone to subscribers without the need for a fiber-optic connection at the customer’s premises.

For the trial, Nokia is supplying its latest AirScale product portfolio and Compact Mobility Unit (CMU) to support both 5G indoor and outdoor connectivity.

In this trial, Nokia’s 5G SA core was installed at a ctc Lab, and 5G base stations were installed at another ctc Lab and at an apartment complex in Nagoya City.

The telco said it will examine processes related to construction and installation of a 5G Core and 5G base station, and will also verify the application of local 5G including the radio wave propagation and network performance in a live environment.

The trial also aims to test how a local 5G network can be used to improve the efficiency of solutions such as remote monitoring, video transmission, and image analysis.

“We are delighted to partner with Nokia to unlock local 5G’s full potential in Japan. With this trial, our effort is to explore the best of local 5G to deliver a high-speed, best-in-class ultra-broadband experience to our customers while preparing for practical use,” said Kazuhide Yokoi, Director, Corporate Strategy, Chubu Telecommunications.

“We are pleased to be conducting this local 5G standalone network trial together with ctc. Our 5G standalone in the Sub-6 spectrum band will enable ctc to explore new capabilities and revenue opportunities while enhancing its network’s operational efficiency,” added Donny Janssens, Head of Customer Team, Nokia Enterprise Japan.