5G: first connections successful in Luxembourg
Tango and Telindus are proud to announce the first 5G connections, performed in Luxembourg on 26 April this year. They thus become the first Luxembourg operators to have connected 5G live on their mobile network. The 5G core network is now operational for future deployments.
Back in 2012, Tango became the first operator to launch the revolutionary 4G in the Grand Duchy. Two years later, the operator again became a trail-blazer on the market by deploying 4G+ in Luxembourg. Today, with the ambition to jointly offer ever more innovative technologies to their customers, Tango and Telindus are proud to announce that the first 5G connections have been accomplished with success.
For this first, conducted in real-life conditions, the technical teams deployed a 5G network in their Bertrange laboratory. They were able to set up a mobile data connection and record 5G download speeds up to 10 times faster than the current average 4G speed. In this process, the teams would like to thank the ILR for having responded positively to their request to temporarily use the 3.6 GHz frequency, thereby offering a real-life environment to try out all the possible uses of this technology. It should be noted that the device used, like the 5G network, was fully compliant with the latest version of the industry standard "Non-Standalone 5G - 3GPP's Release 15", a standard approved in December last year. Once the "Commodo-Incommodo" permit is granted, the technical teams can therefore go ahead and activate sites in the field to perform measurements in outdoor conditions. The equipment is already set up and the only thing missing now is this permit to begin the activation.
These initial connections are the culmination of a long process and major investments started last year involving a complete change to the core network. This infrastructure will now make it possible to add 5G more quickly to the existing 4G mobile network. Moreover, the network already has enough capacity to support 5G speeds when the marketing starts. The first stages of the deployment can therefore begin as soon as the licenses for the frequencies have been granted. The aim is to launch 5G for Tango and Telindus customers in the largest population centers within 12 months from now.
"This inaugural test of 5G is a sign of our commitment to promote innovation and develop the country's competitiveness. Our network is now ready for the 5G deployment phase, which will enable us to offer new possibilities to both our residential and business customers. We are starting this deployment with a view to providing optimal performance and offering our customers 5G within the next 12 months", says Gérard Hoffman, CEO of Proximus Luxembourg.
About the 5G
The 5G network can deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and a latency five times faster compared to 4G. These two assets combined will enable, for example, much more extensive use of virtual and augmented reality. It will also favor the emergence of new technologies: autonomous vehicles, VR cinema and the most immersive video games. In addition, the time required to download an HD film will be considerably reduced and streaming videos will be a much more fluid experience. But the greatest contribution of 5G will be mainly in the BtoB sector. The very low latency of this network will allow much more fluid and accurate remote checks. One can imagine, for example, applications in 4.0 industries, automated industries, with complete and real-time organization of production lines.
