MTS, MediaTek, Ericsson Achieve Landmark 5G Carrier Aggregation in 4.8-5.0 GHz
MOSCOW, Russia – Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS” or “the Company”) (NYSE: MBT; MOEX: MTSS), Russia’s largest mobile operator and a leading provider of media and digital services, together with MediaTek, Inc (TWSE: 2454), a global fabless semiconductor company, and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), a global leader in ICT services and solutions, announce the successful achievement of the first two-carrier aggregation on a pilot 5G network in the n79 band (4.8-5.0 GHz).
The demonstration combined two contiguous 5G component carriers with total bandwidth of 180 MHz and two LTE carriers in the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands (20 MHz and 15 MHz bandwidths, respectively). During the test, the companies broke the 5G data transfer speed record for an n79 network in Russia, reaching 2.9 Gbps. The new Ericsson Antenna Integrated Radio AIR 6449 Massive MIMO 64x64 product supports a bandwidth of 200MHz and covers all available n79 (4.8-4.99 GHZ) spectrum in Russia at the moment.
The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC (System-on-Chip) was used in the demonstration. Its 5G integrated modem ensures seamless 5G experiences, industry-leading power efficiency, and compatibility with networks across the globe regardless of spectrum and network architecture.
Victor Belov, MTS Chief Technology Officer, commented: “While the discussion around 5G spectrum allocation is still ongoing in Russia, we are moving forward with our partners to test pilot 5G networks across all possible configurations and bands. Activating carrier aggregation in the 4.8-5.0 GHz spectrum enables us to enhance the throughput and capacity of our 5G pilot zones, while also encouraging device manufacturers to provide support for this band.”
“MediaTek’s collaboration with MTS and Ericsson will usher in a new era of 5G connectivity in Russia,” said Pascal Lemasson, Associate Vice President and Head of Business Development for MediaTek in Europe. “Ready to pair with all standardized New Radio bands, MediaTek’s Dimensity series brings even better throughput for end users and more capacity for operators. MediaTek is already powering devices in every 5G market across the globe, and we look forward to continuing to expand our footprint in Russia.”
In March, MTS launched Russia’s first large-scale 5G pilot network for select subscribers in Moscow. The 4.9 GHz network provides 5G coverage across 14 high-traffic locations, with real-world throughput of up to 1.5 Gbps. The company has since launched a second 5G pilot network in St. Petersburg, with coverage at 16 sites including the Expoforum venue of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.