The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted Apple and other companies a license to conduct trials of the emerging fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband standard.
Apple is testing next-generation 5G wireless technologies, according to documents recently made public by the FCC. Business Insider points to the filing, in which the iPhone maker asks the Commission for an experimental license to use a new wireless technology called 'millimeter wave.'
Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.
Apple intends to transmit from two fixed points located at Apple-controlled facilities in Cupertino and Milpitas, CA. These transmissions will be consistent with the parameters and equipment identified in Apple’s accompanying Form 442, and will include the use of a horn antenna with a half-power beamwidth of 20 degrees in the E-plane and H-plane and a downtilt between 20 - 25 degrees. Apple anticipates that it will conduct its experiments for a period not to exceed 12 months.
Interestingly enough, one of the bands Apple intends to test (28GHz) has been allocated for earth-to-space transmissions. It was reported last month that Apple is recruiting satellite experts for a secret hardware team. The company is also currently in a legal battle with wireless chip supplier Qualcomm.
Here in the US, major carriers like Verizon and AT&T have pledged to start rolling out their 5G networks to major markets later this year. T-Mobile and Sprint both hope to have 5G towers up and running by 2020.
Source: Business Insider
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AT&T on Friday issued a press release detailing its 5G network roadmap. The carrier says it is partnering with Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G solutions in its labs starting in Q2 of this year, and it hopes to be ready for outdoor tests and trials by early summer.
5G speeds are expected to be 10-100 times faster than current 4G LTE connections. AT&T says customers will see speeds measured in gigabits per second, not megabits. For reference, at one gigabit per second, you can download a TV show in less than 3 seconds.
Verizon Wireless, the leading U.S. wireless operator, will be kicking off field trials of a fifth-generation network which promises to bring some rather insane download speeds.
With these trials, the big red carrier should become the world's first carrier to seriously move into 5G.
As reported by CNET, field trials on 5G wireless technology are set to kick off within the next 12 months, with Verizon's chief information and technology architect Roger Gurnani confirming that “some level of commercial deployment” should begin in 2017.
When you just can't wait a minute to download that huge video, Samsung comes to the rescue. Sort of. Eventually. Reports Monday indicate Apple's rival has found the key to delivering gigabit download speeds through a new fifth-generation cellular radio technology, dubbed 5G mmWave. It's unclear whether the new tech can gain acceptance to eventually overtake 4G networks still rolling out.
For the iPhone maker, however, Samsung breaking today's wireless speed barrier may mean more court wrangling as the two companies seek any advantage in the lucrative smartphone market...