Massive MIMO Trial Wrapped Up for Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm

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Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm say they’ve completed their first successful Massive MIMO (Multiple Input-Multiple Output) trial with a compatible customer device on Verizon’s wireless network in Irvine, CA.

“Massive MIMO is a critical component of our 4G LTE Advancements and will play an important role in 5G technology that will result in single digit latency and scalability in the billions of connections,” says Verizon Chief Network Engineer and Head of Wireless Networks Nicola Palmer. Ericsson expects its Massive MIMO portfolio to be available this year, which dovetails with smartphones that include a compatible chipset, in the first half of 2018.

In this trial, the three companies used the latest Ericsson Massive MIMO software and hardware on Verizon’s network, along with a mobile test device powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 845 Mobile Platform with X20 LTE, using Transmission Mode 9 (TM9). TM9 is an upgrade for consumer devices that will make them compatible with Massive MIMO, enabling a better experience, according to the companies.

Massive MIMO is a key technology component in the evolution towards 5G. It has the potential of greatly improving network capacity. To realize the gains, both the network and devices need to support new TM9 functionality that will increase network spectral efficiency and customer speeds.

January 3, 2018     

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