5G Benchmark Study 2020: Focus on mmWave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Based on Testing with a High-Power CPE in Verizon’s Networks in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota – ResearchAndMarkets.com

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “5G: The Greatest Show on Earth! Vol 15: It’s a Different Kind of Animal” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The publisher just completed their fifteenth 5G benchmark study, this time with a focus on mmWave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), based on testing they did with a high-power CPE in Verizon’s networks in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Highlights of the Report include the following:

Thanks:

They did this study in collaboration with Accuver Americas and Spirent Communications who provided them with their respective test equipment and platforms, which the publisher identifies in the report. The publisher did all the testing and analysis of the data and are solely responsible for the commentary in the report.

Methodology:

They conducted stationary tests at more than 50 locations in the Twin Cities using the high-power Wistron NeWeb Corporation LRV5-100 CPE with the Qualcomm QTM527 mmWave antenna module. The publisher selected the test areas and the test locations – at many locations we had no knowledge of where the 5G NR cell sites were located.

It’s a Completely Different Animal:

They documented a 25 dB advantage with the high-power CPE compared with a 5G NR smartphone. At most test locations, which involved near- or non-line-of-site conditions, and/or distances frequently between 400 and 800 meters (peak = 1.2 km), the 5G NR smartphone could not even connect to the network while the CPE achieved Gigabit-per-Second speeds – well above the promoted speed of 300 Mbps.

More to Come:

Software upgrades from suppliers in early 2021 will further increase the effective range of mmWave, which is somewhat restricted today due to downlink/uplink interference which occurs when the distance the signal travels exceeds the capabilities of the existing TDD frame structure, which didn’t anticipate the time required to travel these distances. That being said, the publisher believes the benefits of a high-power CPE are equally applicable to achieving high throughput with near- and NLOS conditions in urban and suburban environments.

Going beyond eMBB:

It is clear that to the publisher that they’ve tested in areas and stumbled upon significant deployments of 5G NR mmWave sites in other states that were solely intended for FWA. There is no reason that mmWave 5G NR can’t be used outside of urban and suburban markets for FWA. Mid-band 5G NR will always have the coverage advantage, but the high-power CPE helps level the playing field. The “best spectrum” for FWA will depend on the service offering the operator promotes (speed, data caps, etc.) as well as the population density being served.

Availability Disconnect:

The publisher knows where Verizon has mmWave FWA coverage since they had boots on the ground and test equipment in hand. Unfortunately, Verizon’s online tool for determining 5G Home Internet service availability doesn’t reflect the coverage they observed. Unless an address shows up in the online database, the service isn’t available to the consumer. This issue needs to be addressed.

Key Topics Covered:

1.0 Executive Summary

2.0 Key Observations

3.0 Minneapolis Test Results

3.1 PCI 650 Test Locations

3.1.1 Test 1 and Test 2

3.1.2 Test 4F and Test 4R

3.1.3 Test 6

3.1.4 Test 11 Downlink and Uplink

3.1.5 Test 33

3.2 Target Rich Environment

3.2.1 Test 12

3.2.2 Test 13 and Test 24

3.2.3 Test 14 Uplink

3.2.4 Test 16 Downlink and Uplink

3.2.5 Test 17 and Test 18

3.2.6 Test 20 and Test 21

3.3 PCI 682 – PCI 684 Tests

3.3.1 Test 50

3.3.2 Test 51

3.3.3 Test 52

3.3.4 Test 53

3.3.5 Test 54

3.3.6 Test 55

3.3.7 Test 56 and Test 57

3.3.8 Test 58

3.3.9 Test 59

4.0 Saint Paul Test Results

4.1 Summit Avenue – Residential

4.1.1 Test 70

4.1.2 Test 74

4.1.3 Test 75

4.1.4 Test 76

4.2 Across the River – Industrial

4.2.1 Test 82

4.2.2 Test 84

4.2.3 Test 85

5.0 Test Methodology

6.0 Final Thoughts

Companies Mentioned

• Avvuver Amercicas
• Spirent Communications
• Verizon

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rpqlbe

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