First multi-vendor, end-to-end 5G commercial data call on 3.5GHz

Ericsson, Telstra and Intel have taken 5G out of the lab and into a real-world commercial production network to achieve the first 5G non-standalone (NSA) 3GPP end-to-end data call in a multi-vendor setup.

Essential parts of the 5G standard have been completed with the approval of 5G New Radio (NR) specifications for non-standalone and standalone deployments of 5G. Ericsson is a key contributor to the standardization process. We are committed to rapidly applying these standards to our technology development and accelerate the commercial deployment of standard-based 5G networks.

The data call was made over Telstra’s 5G NSA enabled commercial network over licenced 3.5GHz spectrum, using Ericsson’s 5G NR radio 6488, baseband and packet core for 5G EPC equipment integrated into Telstra commercial network and Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform for the 5G NR UE.

This latest milestone took place at Telstra’s 5G innovation centre on the Gold Coast in Australia. It quickly followed the July 6 lab-based data call by Ericsson and Intel, together with early-moving 5G service providers, at the Ericsson Lab in Stockholm.