Mobily has teamed up with Ericsson, to trial 5G on 800/1800 MHz band using Ericsson Spectrum Sharing.
The trial showed 5G capabilities in a real-world environment over a live network, including tests on speed and latency.
Ericsson Spectrum Sharing allows both 4G and 5G to be deployed in the same band and on the same radio through a software upgrade – instantly allocating spectrum between the two mobile technologies based on user demand on a one millisecond basis.
According to Ericsson, the solution will allow Mobily to efficiently manage 4G and 5G traffic in its network thereby enhancing coverage, performance and mobility.
Eng Alaa Malki, Chief Technology Officer, Mobily said: “With Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, Mobily can improve 5G mid-band coverage while maintaining the 4G customer experience. Given that this is one of the strategic steps for Mobily toward 5G standalone deployment using the same spectrum and radio assets we utilise for 4G.”
Ekow Nelson, Vice President, Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “The successful 5G trial is an important step in our strategy to continuously expand and modernise Mobily’s network. Ericsson Spectrum Sharing is a unique innovation that instantly shares spectrum between 4G and 5G carriers based on traffic demand. This Ericsson innovation will enable Mobily to use its spectrum assets efficiently and will drive 5G-wide coverage rollout quickly, smoothly and cost efficiently.”
The Ericsson Spectrum Sharing solution will give Mobily a head-start in expanding its 5G services, signalling new opportunities, including in the areas of agriculture, Smart Cities and healthcare. It can rapidly enable the continuous coverage required, bringing the full advantage of network slicing and lower latency to power new business opportunities across a multitude of industries in cities, on factory floors and roads across the Kingdom.
