Sprint, Samsung Team Up for Massive MIMO Test

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To usher in the new era of wireless technology, carriers are working extensively with equipment manufacturers to deliver high-speed services capable of supporting a burgeoning wireless network. Sprint and Samsung, for example, recently partnered to test Massive MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) in Suwon, South Korea, which is a key step in improving the carrier’s LTE network plus its future 5G network, the companies said in a release.

The test yielded impressive results, as the gigantic MIMO Samsung radios “equipped with vertical and horizontal beam-forming technology” achieved peak speeds of 330 Mbps per channel using a 20 MHz channel on 2.5 GHz of spectrum. Compared to current radios the carrier presently uses, the Suwon test marked a fourfold increase in capacity per channel, a three time increase in cell edge performance and a general overall coverage area improvement.   

Mammoth MIMO radios use more antenna elements, according to Samsung, like, for example, 64T64R, which uses 128 elements. Typically, in the current 4G LTE network, the highest number of antenna elements used is 16—8T8R. Sprint is currently testing 8T8R radios across its U.S. network and plans to compare how these perform to the Suwon Massive MIMO tests in South Korea, and use that data for the deployment of the new technology in the U.S.

“Our recent testing in Suwon delivered impressive capacity and coverage improvements in a real world environment, demonstrating how massive MIMO will greatly improve a customer’s wireless service experience,” Samsung Networks SVP/GM Mark Louison stated.

June 22, 2017     

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