Samsung, Cisco and Verizon Complete 5G Trial Network

Once it is fully deployed, 5G is going to connect more of the world we live in, and introduce numerous opportunities for hardware manufacturers, service providers and developers. Next generation communications services will connect our homes, cities, vehicles and workplace with more reliability as part of the Internet of things, VR, AR and big data become available to more users. This has led to a number of network trials taking place around the world, with interoperability testing by hardware manufacturers, network operators and service providers. The latest test was successfully carried out by Verizon, Samsung (News - Alert) and Cisco with a 5G network trial in Ann Arbor, Michigan using network function virtualization (NFV) solutions.

For Verizon (News - Alert), this trial is part of the company's goal of commercializing gigabit broadband service in collaboration with leading industry players. The test is part of the Verizon 5G Technology Forum (V5GTF) initiative, which was formed in 2015 in cooperation with Cisco, Ericsson, Intel, LG, Nokia, Qualcomm (News - Alert) and Samsung using Verizon’s 28/39 GHz fixed wireless access trials and deployments on a common and extendable platform.

Verizon said these specifications promote interoperability among network and UE/chipset manufacturers and allow the wireless providers to test and validate key 5G technical components. The company wants to deliver fiber capabilities to wireless by accelerating the pace of innovation so end-users can start experiencing gigabits-per-second throughputs and single-millisecond latencies.

The technology for the trail network includes a Cisco (News - Alert) Ultra Services Platform 5G virtualized packet core with Cisco Advanced Services and Samsung virtual RAN (vRAN) solutions, along with Verizon's 5G Technical Forum specification with a series of network vendor interoperability tests (NVIOT). The goal was to achieve core network, radio edge and user device interworking and NFV. The success of the test proved the readiness of key 5G technologies.

“We're very excited about the possibilities this opens up in terms of network architectures, particularly in view of 5G's aim to connect new industries and empower unique service scenarios.

A shift towards network function virtualization creates new opportunities in the industry value chain, enabling collaboration with pioneering industry leaders to bring greater value to consumers and businesses,” said Woojune Kim, VP and head of Next Generation Strategy at Samsung Electronics.

The rest of the pre-commercial 5G trials will begin by the middle of the year with fixed wireless services using hundreds of cell sites covering several thousand customer locations in 10 cities across the U.S. The cities are: Atlanta, Georgia; Bernardsville, New Jersey; Brockton, Massachusetts; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Miami, Florida; Sacramento, California; Seattle, Washington; and Washington DC. Ericsson, Intel, LG, Nokia (News - Alert), and Qualcomm will also take part.