“Our mmWave build is a critical differentiator, even as we drive towards massive and rapid expansion of our 5G service using our newly acquired mid-band spectrum, we are doubling down on our commitment to mmWave spectrum usage,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning for Verizon. “You will see us continue to expand our mmWave footprint to deliver game-changing experiences for the densest parts of our network and for unique enterprise solutions. We had over 17K mmWave cell sites at the end of last year and are on track to add 14K more in 2021, with over 30K sites on air by the end of this year, and we’ll keep building after that,” said Koeppe.

Previous multi-gigabit speeds have been recorded on downloads before, but this is the fastest speed the companies have been able to reach while uploading data to the network. Speeds approaching those seen in this recent trial (for comparison, 700+ Mbps is the equivalent of a one GB movie uploaded in about 10 seconds) will pave the way for uploading videos, pictures and data to the cloud, social media accounts, or sharing directly with others in densely populated venues like downtown streets, concerts and football stadiums. Whether using a traditional mobile link or fixed wireless access, these speeds will also allow students working from home or employees in distributed workforces the ability to upload and synchronize massive files, complete simultaneous editing of documents in the cloud, and collaborate with colleagues effortlessly.

These breakthrough uplink speeds will also drive new private network use cases for enterprises. Faster uplink speeds can enable quality control solutions for manufacturers using artificial intelligence to identify tiny product defects in products visible only through ultra HD video feeds. Other upload-intensive solutions such as multi-location, massive security video capabilities and augmented reality-centered customer experiences will also get a boost with these increased speeds.

About the trial

The demonstration surpassed current peak upload speeds by combining 400MHz of Verizon’s 5G mmWave frequency and 20MHz of 4G frequency using the latest 5G technologies, including mmWave carrier aggregation and Single-User MIMO (SU-MIMO). Network technology used in the demo included Samsung’s 28GHz 5G Compact Macro and virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Core (vCore) along with a smartphone form-factor test device powered by the Qualcomm flagship Snapdragon^® X65 5G Modem-RF System.

Snapdragon X65 is Qualcomm Technologies’ 4th generation 5G mmWave Modem-RF System for phones, mobile broadband, compute, XR, industrial IoT, 5G private networks and fixed wireless access. Commercial mobile devices based on these Modem-RF solutions are expected to launch by late 2021.

Samsung’s Compact Macro delivers 5G mmWave by bringing together a baseband, radio and antenna in a single form factor. This compact and lightweight solution can be easily installed on the sides of buildings, as well as on utility poles, for the swift build-out of 5G networks. The Compact Macro achieved first Common Criteria (CC) certification against Network Device collaborative Protection Profile (NDcPP), an internationally recognized IT security standard.

“In collaboration with Qualcomm and Verizon, we are excited to reach these ultra-fast uplink speeds, which will enable differentiated 5G experiences and deliver more immersive mobile services for all users,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung looks forward to harnessing the full potential of 5G through new breakthroughs that will bring truly transformative benefits to people around the world and across the enterprise landscape.”

“Enhancing uplink speeds opens the door to new possibilities with 5G mmWave, in transit hubs, downtown areas, shopping malls and crowded venues, while also powering robust 5G fixed wireless access services in homes and small businesses,” said Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, 5G, mobile broadband and infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our collaboration with Samsung and Verizon exemplifies how we are collectively driving 5G mmWave commercialization and enabling new and exciting user experiences – every day.”

The demonstration, held at the ‘Korea International Circuit’ racetrack, was made possible by Samsung Networks’ end-to-end 5G mmWave solutions, including 5G New Radio (NR) base stations. The same equipment has been in commercial operation in the United States since the first half of this year.

While the racing car moved at approximately 130 miles per hour (210Km/hour) on the track, the trial verified the stable performance of live downloads, uploads and handovers between 5G cell sites on the racetrack. Download speeds reached up to 1Gbps, demonstrating the capacity for multi-gigabit downloads on a 5G device inside a racing car, using 200MHz bandwidth of 28GHz spectrum.

5G’s high speeds, instantaneous communications, and seamless handovers allow for a more effective and safer way to transfer video to and from cars accelerating up to 130 miles per hour (200~370Km/hour.) The companies were able to use this live video streaming capability to broadcast multiple views of the race in real time over SK Telecom’s live broadcasting solution, T Live Caster 5G.

The test showed that the mmWave technology can unlock the full potential of 5G, for delivering innovative uses cases and business models, such as new entertainment experiences in motor sport events. For example, cameras built into the cars’ cockpits will be able to stream real-time video data from each car over 5G wireless links, allowing viewers to enjoy vivid scenes of the race from the driver’s point of view. Through VR, AR and 360 degree video streams, racing fans will be able to enjoy the immersive experience of feeling as if they are inside an actual moving car.

“5G already opened up a new horizon when the first commercial service started in the first half of 2019 across Korea and the U.S.,” said Jaeho Jeon, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is at the forefront with global operators in bringing 5G benefits to consumers, industries and societies by helping them deliver 5G commercial networks. This trial is a great example of taking a user experience and the racing industry to new heights.”

“5G commercial service means much more than just faster speeds. It is a vital engine in transforming digital landscapes to bring enhanced and new business models that had only lived in our imagination,” said Park Jin-hyo, Chief Technology Officer and Head of ICT R&D Center of SK Telecom. “We will continue to work closely with Samsung in pushing the limits of legacy technology and maximizing the power of the 5G network.”

In September 2017, Samsung achieved the world’s first 5G handover at 118 miles per hour (190Km/hour) and 1Gbps speed download in a vehicle moving at 127 miles per hour (205Km/hour) in Korea (Link). Based on these achievements, Samsung has advanced network innovation through a comprehensive series of real-world use cases powered by 5G in partnership with global operators, helping to overcome the limits of legacy technology.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom is the largest mobile operator in Korea with nearly 50 percent of the market share. As the pioneer of all generations of mobile networks, the company has commercialized the fifth generation (5G) network on December 1, 2018 and announced the first 5G smartphone subscribers on April 3, 2019. With its world’s best 5G, SK Telecom is set to realize the Age of Hyper-Innovation by transforming the way customers work, live and play. Building on its strength in mobile services, the company is also creating unprecedented value in diverse ICT-related markets including media, security and commerce.

For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or sktelecom@bcw-global.com

(left) Dr. June Hee Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the Technology Strategy Team and Dr. Won Joon Choi, Senior Vice President and Head of the Flagship R&D Team

For more than 35 years, Samsung has been a leader across the mobile industry, from smartphones to mobile chipsets to network solutions. Over the past decade, the company’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible has paved the way to the development of the first end-to-end 5G solution.

This trailblazing spirit has led Samsung to become the first company to introduce breakthrough consumer-centric 5G experiences, including Samsung’s first commercialized 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, which was launched in South Korea in April and is set for a global rollout.

But, the question is, – What will 5G enable? Why is 5G important? How do consumers experience 5G today? and what were the challenges that Samsung had to overcome to commercialize 5G?

Two figures at Samsung, Dr. Won Joon Choi, Senior Vice President and Head of the Flagship R&D Team, and Dr. June Hee Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of the Technology Strategy Team, were integral in leading 5G-ready hardware and software development, and they recently shared their behind-the-scenes stories of 5G development and technology leadership in more detail.

Pushing Boundaries

5G technology will revolutionize what is possible on a data network, much like the unprecedented possibilities 4G unlocked when it launched. 4G put the internet in your pocket and opened the ability to work and play while on the go. With increased speeds and lower latency of the 5G bandwidth, 5G will offer more than just mobile advantages when compared with LTE. “When 5G service is completely actualized, its capabilities will not be limited just to smartphones; the concept of a connected, autonomous vehicle can be fully realized, as well as smart factories and smart robots in the medical field, for instance,” explains Choi. “Video conferencing will no longer be in 2D but will take place in 3D,” adds Lee, “and furthermore, no one can imagine streaming 360-degree video on your smartphone with mobile data as it exists now, but with 5G, this will become a reality,” stresses Lee. But making this a reality has been no small undertaking.

In order to institute the 5G bandwidth, every aspect of the network infrastructure ecosystem, from antenna models to device chipsets, had to be reconfigured to account for its separate frequency range from existing bandwidths. “Samsung has been directly engaged with the 5G market from the start, from research to technology to setting international standards,” notes Lee. “What prompted Samsung to spearhead 5G was our mindset that, when there is a direction that the industry should be headed, it is important to blaze that trail, no matter how challenging it seems.”

What It Takes to Champion 5G

The establishment of an end-to-end solution has been key to Samsung’s development of a global 5G network. From the beginning, the company took the unique approach of developing the capabilities to not only make a 5G device, but also to establish the necessary partnerships crucial to the full ecosystem roll-out, from chipset and infrastructure vendors to carriers and content & service providers. “5G development started with figuring out what the core technologies of 5G were and how we would secure them – early on, we took the lead in collaborating with numerous partners such as chipset vendors, for example,” explains Choi. “All of this enabled us to take a leading role in the development of 5G.”

The capabilities Samsung developed in these exploratory phases began more than a decade ago and allowed the company to stay at the forefront of each new phase of 5G development. The frequency 5G operates on, mmWave and Sub-6GHz, called for numerous innovations to device hardware and software, including a 5G modem chip, a 5G RF chip, RF front-end components, and 5G receivers. In 2013, Samsung successfully developed its first 5G proof of concept (POC) and, two years later, its first-ever pre-5G spec opened the door to other milestones – including the creation of a 5G smartphone set to 3GPP and international standards.

What has made Samsung a leader in 5G is its commitment to bringing together all elements of the development process, from research to development, not just on a mobile level, but on a global network scale. “The first 5G New Radio standard spec was approved at the end of 2017,” highlights Choi, “and Samsung took a leading role in setting this international standard.” This network leadership is not without precedent for Samsung; the company also participated in setting the international network standards for the transition from 3G to LTE, and this experience, not only on a network infrastructure level but also on a consumer-facing one, meant the company was primed and ready to lead 5G development.

Understanding that a global 5G network infrastructure must come into full operation gradually, Samsung ensured its current service minimizes network interruptions by providing an LTE-5G transition period through Non-Stand-Alone (NSA) network standardization. “The current 5G service utilizes the stable LTE network for transmitting important information such as control and signaling details, including LTE to 5G handover, while using 5G for data transmission,” clarifies Choi. “Regarding the Galaxy S10 5G, the device was designed on both hardware and software levels to be ready to use the NSA network throughout the handover. Furthermore, there are always some unprecedented issues that arise during a transition period. We are taking all consumer feedback very seriously and thanks to our close coordination with all relevant partners, as the infrastructure improves, so will the full 5G experience.”

Creating a Device Built for the 5G Era

 In order to ensure its first 5G device remained as user-friendly and intuitive as consumers have come to expect from the Galaxy series, Samsung developed a major hardware innovation. “Because a 5G phone must support all LTE legacy hardware, adding 5G-specific components such as the 5G modem chip and 5G RF chip naturally involved incorporating additional parts,” explains Choi. “If we had simply mounted these onto a device, the phone would have become bulky. Instead, we meticulously designed how and where to include these extra components to retain the Galaxy series’ streamlined unibody design.” Even after mounting the necessary extra components, the Galaxy S10 5G still possesses a slim, unibody form factor.

This was not the only hurdle Samsung had to overcome with the Galaxy S10 5G; 5G networks consume a lot of battery power due to the large amount of data they have to transmit. “We mitigated this challenge by incorporating the latest vapor chamber technology featuring new AI software that automatically optimizes battery, CPU, RAM, and even device temperature based on how people use their phones. This smart software learns from its user and continues to over time,” notes Choi.

The most challenging issue Samsung addressed with the Galaxy S10 5G was developing technology to support 5G bandwidth, operating on the higher frequencies. “High-frequency spectrum had never been supported on mobile devices before,” explains Choi. “From a hardware perspective, creating a solution for this meant years of research into mitigating weak signals as a result of physical barriers or obstacles in the path of frequencies, particularly when encountering metal objects.” On the software side, Samsung was dedicated to providing a seamless customer experience. “Our solution is based on a wide range of accumulated experience and know-hows,” remarks Lee. “Our longtime interactions with consumers, which provided us with an understanding of how, for example, consumers use and grip their phones, allowed us to develop software that keeps the device connected to the 5G signal.”

The Future of 5G Connectivity

Not only will Samsung’s achievements in 5G transform the mobile data experience for consumers, they will also have exciting implications for the future of Connected Living and will play a huge role in optimizing the operation and connectivity of devices that harness artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT (Internet of Things). “The world of 5G will bring so much potential into the future technology field, including helping the realization of smart factories and smart cities,” affirms Lee.

“With the advent of 4G, speed was the only key improvement, but it is different with 5G,” notes Choi. “We consider 5G technology to be a key underlying technology that can enable a truly new, non-mobile-exclusive broadband market.”

Not only does 5G offer eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband) thanks to transmit speeds of up to 20 times what LTE provides, its URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication) minimizes the time it takes for data to travel from one point to another and mMTC (Massive Machine-Type Communication) paves the way for smart factories and supply chains. “In being able to transmit information with minimum latency and maximum reliability, 5G technology is crucial to the safety features of smart cars, the stability of smart factories and the accuracy of smart robots in the medical field; essentially, it is the key technology to making these future technologies a possibility,” explains Choi.

“With 5G, the absolute bandwidth of the network has increased,” adds Lee. “With the example of the connected car, data needs to be transmitted to the driver extremely fast. For instance, in the case of a car driving at a speed of 100km per hour, a 0.1 second delay in latency could result in a 3-meter difference. Furthermore, regarding smart cities, 5G offers another important advantage thanks to its increased connectivity capabilities. With 5G, in theory, we can possibly connect 10 times the devices LTE can – simultaneously.”

5G is therefore crucial for industries outside of mobile. The ramifications of its implementation look to be truly global, and Samsung, who has been developing its solutions with this in mind from the start, is at the forefront of bringing about the 5G revolution.

Korean operators have been transmitting 5G signals in Seoul and metropolitan areas since December 1, 2018 using 5G base station radios and 5G core solutions from Samsung’s Networks Business unit. To further expand the 5G network, Samsung has supplied 5G core solutions and more than 53,000 5G radio base stations to Korea’s three operators.

“Korea is one of the first markets in the world in which the 5G experience is opening up for consumers, and we’re thrilled to play a key role in the nationwide rollout of 5G with our unparalleled 5G network solutions,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “As a longstanding innovator in the 5G space and one of the few vendors offering a full end-to-end 5G solution, Samsung is at the forefront of pushing the limits of 5G and beyond.”

Korean operators rolled out their commercial 5G networks using Samsung’s 5G Massive-MIMO Unit (MMU) radio base station in the 3.5GHz spectrum. A key characteristic of Samsung MMUs deployed in Korea is that they are among the smallest and lightest in the industry, ensuring they can be easily installed in existing operators’ cellular sites requiring minimal changes. This ability to re-use existing site has been key to enabling the Korean operators to deploy 5G network consisting of tens of thousands of radios within just few months since the Dec 1^st launch.

The virtualized 5G core solutions, provided to all three Korean operators for their 5G commercial launch, support both legacy 4G networks and next generation 5G services in Non-Standalone (NSA) mode. They can also migrate to Standalone (SA) mode through a simple software upgrade in the future. Samsung’s solution implements many of the key technologies of 5G networks, such as Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS), which are essential for network operators to scale their networks and support the new services enabled by 5G technology.

“Korea has long been regarded a leader when it comes to mobile technology and service adoption, and it is a market that other operators and vendors follow closely, said Daryl Schoolar, Practice Leader for Service Provider Technologies at Ovum. Samsung’s significant role in helping all three Korean mobile operators roll out their commercial 5G networks gives the vendor significant credibility as it looks to expand its 5G network solutions into other markets around the globe.”

5G Massive MIMO Unit (3.5GHz)

Starting May 21, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an initiative uniting the world’s leading telecommunications standard development organizations, will convene in Busan, Korea to complete communication standards, vital for the commercialization of 5G wireless communications. Samsung Electronics’ research into ultra-high frequency (mmWave) for 5G extends back to 2009 when the Dallas, Texas branch of Samsung Research, formerly known as the Digital Media & Communications (DMC) R&D center, fixed its sights on the ultra-high frequency above 6GHz.

Samsung Research’s Dallas, Texas branch, pictured in 2009

“We had a strong belief in the potential of ultra-high frequency, then considered uncharted space for the industry, and pushed forward in R&D, one step ahead of other companies,” said Sungho Choi, Vice President of the Standard Research Team at Samsung Research. “This was during a time when basically everyone in the telecommunications industry was busy preparing for the transition to 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and there was great uncertainty as to what would come after.”

Early Efforts by Samsung Electronics

In 2009, the Dallas office initiated an in-depth study into next generation telecommunications technology and delivered a proposal on ultra-high frequency to Samsung Research. In the extensive 300-page report, ultra-high frequency, with the application of cutting-edge beamforming technology, was seen as the method to solve the challenge of ultra-high-speed, large-volume transmission.

This was at a time, however, when the dominant opinion of papers and books on telecommunications had doubt about the application of ultra-high frequency due to its drawbacks. However, believing in the potential of its discovery, in 2011, Samsung Electronics initiated an in-house project to expand upon research, and in the following year, Samsung Research established a “Next Generation Communications Lab,” accelerating the development of ultra-high frequency and 5G technologies.

As the culmination of its early efforts, Samsung Electronics’ successful demonstration of the world’s first 5G communications, with speed of 1Gpbs, made headlines in 2013, thanks to the close to four years of advanced research at a time when 4G LTE was enjoying its rise to the height of popularity.

In 2013, Samsung Electronics successfully demonstrated the world’s first 5G communications, at a speed of 1Gbps.

Finding the Optimal Band for 5G, 28GHz

The research into ultra-high frequency posed a critical question for the international community related to the ideal frequency band for 5G. At the time, nationally regulated frequencies, in the range between 0 and 300GHz, were already allocated for communications, broadcasting, science and military purposes. The challenge was encouraging as many countries as possible to use the same bands for 5G to accelerate standardization and commercialization.

“When beginning our research, we studied almost every ‘frequency map’ in the world,” said Juyeon Song, Principal Engineer of the Standard Research Lab at Samsung Research. “We arrived at the conclusion that the most applicable ultra-high frequency band is 28GHz.”

Propelling Standard Development After Approval of Ultra-High Frequency as the 5G Candidate Band

Samsung strived to continue technology development after identifying the optimal candidate band for 5G, 28GHz. However, researchers soon reached an impasse: persuading those countries, who had already allocated the band for core industries other than communications, as well as certain business segments, who were reluctant to rush the commercialization of 5G during the dominance of 4G.

“Witnessing the saturation point of using traditional frequencies below 6GHz, more countries began to pay attention to ultra-high frequency,” said Hyoungjin Choi, Principal Engineer of the Standard Research Lab at Samsung Research. “Targeting these countries and companies with a great interest in the utilization of the frequency band and commercialization of 5G laid the foundation for standardization.”

During the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, the Korean government submitted a proposal on by Samsung. However, the issue was alignment with countries that wanted to use the ultra-high frequency band for services other than telecommunications services. During the ensuing four-weeks of marathon meetings, several ultra-high frequency bands were finally approved as candidate bands for 5G, propelling standardization.

Since WRC in 2015, with debate ongoing, Samsung has continued its efforts to advocate and serve as the leading proponent of 5G standardization, towards the aim of the development of technologies related to ultra-high frequencies. Read the second part of this special series for more on Samsung’s journey after 2016 to develop 5G standards, including 28GHz^* ultra-high frequency.

During the 2015 WRC, the Korean government submitted a proposal to utilize ultra-high frequency technology for 5G.

^*The 3GPP is standardizing more than 30 candidate bands from a low frequency of 600MHz to ultra-high frequency of 40GHz. 28GHz is the representative ultra-high frequency band which leading 5G countries are seeking to prioritize to realize 5G commercialization.

Dr. Jaeweon Cho, Director of 5G Technology Strategy within Samsung’s Next-Generation Communications Business Team, and Samsung’s representative on the Board, said “This is a serious opportunity for Samsung and our industry partners to leverage the work we’re doing in diverse spaces such as mobile networks, home appliances and chipsets and apply it to the growing connected car industry. I’m really excited to explore the potential opportunities here and help the 5GAA Board set its future direction. What the 5GAA and Samsung are working on will be globally transformational.”

Samsung acquired Harman, a company with leadership in connected car technologies, in March of this year. Samsung expects that the combination of  this expertise paired with its own experience in mobile devices, wireless networks and chipset development will serve to empower the 5GAA’s mission to accelerate the commercialization of communications solutions that improve mobility and safety on our transportation networks.

In addition to joining the 5GAA board, Samsung was also elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the 5GAA’s Working Group 4, which is responsible for exploring connected car-related standards and radio spectrum opportunities.

Samsung joined the 5GAA in January as a pioneering leader in 5G technology development and strives to support industry initiatives to standardize approaches to research, develop, commercialize and deploy wireless technologies that will power entirely new and exciting use cases, from connected cars to augmented reality and beyond.

The evolution of telecommunications technology, from 1G networks to our current 4G standard, has utterly transformed how we share and consume information. Now, through pioneering research in the field and exciting core innovations such as adaptive beamforming technology, Samsung Electronics is bringing us ever closer to opening entirely new paradigms of connectivity through 5G.

By utilizing ultra-high broadcast frequencies, 5G will deliver data transfer speeds that are up to 200 times faster than current 4G networks, even in highly dense locations. This will allow us to create more responsive user experiences across a more diverse range of devices and technologies, including those which have not yet leveraged wireless connectivity.

For a start, 5G will make it possible for users to enjoy rich 4K video and more immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences. Imagine being able to take in a front-row concert experience from the comfort of your living room, spark your child’s curiosity with immersive augmented reality edutainment, or simply conference with colleagues through crystal clear video. 5G technology makes it possible to seamlessly facilitate such data-heavy tasks while also opening the door for greater automation in more aspects of daily life, allowing us to streamline everything from the Internet of Things (IoT) and self-driving cars to robotics.

Drawing from expertise gained from more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications field, Samsung first started developing 5G-related technologies in 2011. By ushering in the 5G era, leading research to advance its commercialization and explore its applications in communications and IoT, Samsung is helping create a world where imagination can become a reality.

During the 5G trial test in Beijing, the key technologies like spatial modulation and FBMC (Filter Bank Multicarrier) are validated for the low-frequency (3.5GHz), the performance of throughput, outband emission are tested. With Samsung’s ultra-high frequency 5G prototype system and devices powered by advanced beam forming technology, Samsung and China Mobile Research Institute sought to verify mmWave technology’s performance and frequency characteristics jointly, including mobility, peak throughput, and multi-user scheduling capacity, as well as mmWave transmission at indoor, penetration loss, etc.

“Over many years of research and development, Samsung has accumulated a wealth of technology and experience related to 5G technology and product development,” said Dai Jun Zhang, Vice President and Head of Samsung R&D Institute China – Beijing. “To accelerate the realization of 5G standardization and commercialization in China, we will continue to strengthen our joint efforts with the Chinese government, as well as operators in the future.”

Since the late 2000s, Samsung has continuously been investing in R&D of 5G key technologies and, since 2014, has primarily focused on 5G commercialization technologies. Through its efforts, Samsung has achieved great milestones on 5G technology development, including the handover demonstration in a multi-cell mmWave network, Radio Frequency (RF) technology essential in miniaturizing devices and equipment. Samsung has also played a key role in contributing to the formation of 3GPP standards, and strive for a global and unified 5G standard, expected to be finalized in 2018.

The collaboration includes initial testing later this year of 5G mobility in an outdoor environment using T-Mobile’s 28 GHz (mmWave) spectrum and Samsung’s 5G proof of concept system, which will be enabled by Samsung’s advanced beam forming technology. In early 2017, additional in-depth trials will continue using a Samsung pre-commercial 28 GHz system.

“We are excited to work with Samsung to see how we can bring to life key attributes of emerging 5G technology, including extreme speed, low latency and massive connectivity,” said Neville Ray, Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile. “Our collaboration with Samsung’s networks technology will enable us to enhance 5G development and availability.”

“Applying Samsung’s 5G leadership to assist T-Mobile in developing their next generation network is an exciting opportunity,” said Mark Louison, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics America. “We are well-positioned to deliver the 5G ecosystem to leading operators like T-Mobile, given our years of experience and development across our semiconductor, device and networks divisions.”

Samsung network equipment and devices offer an attractive pathway to meeting ever-growing consumer demand for data in an emerging 5G world. 5G technology is expected to drive the next wave of mobile application development and the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting billions of devices and accelerating low latency gigabit speeds for richer content and experiences. Samsung is a key contributor and holds a host of essential patents related to the new 5G standards, which are expected to be finalized in 2018.

To hear more about Samsung Networks and see demonstrations of its networks business and wireless enterprise solutions, visit Samsung’s booth at the CTIA Super Mobility 2016 event in Las Vegas, Booth #3122.

The finding is based on the “Results of Research on Telecom Technology Patent Trends and Patent Litigation Analysis” study, released on April 8 by the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO).

The report stated that Samsung accounts for 12.7 percent (954 in total) of the LTE/LTE-A SEPs owned by 66 telecommunications businesses around the world.

The study was conducted over the course of three years by 35 experts, including patent attorneys, professors, and others from the National Applied Research Laboratory, a Taiwanese government-owned institution. The study chose and analyzed 7,516 U.S. patents related to LTE and LTE-A, which were declared as SEPs (Standard Essential Patents) to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

Samsung was also ranked No. 1 in the 2015 report, which surveyed 43 telecommunications businesses.

With the LTE patents portfolio, Samsung is expected to be an industry leader in the area of 5G technology.

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)
ETSI produces global standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies, and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization.

To discuss 5G wireless communications technology standards, Samsung Electronics is hosting a 3GPP* RAN1** meeting for five days in Busan, Korea. The international meeting, which commenced on April 11, brings together about 400 technology experts from 80 telecommunications businesses to begin the standardization of 5G technologies in earnest.

3GPP first began to discuss the 5G standardization schedule at the 3GPP RAN 5G Workshop held in Phoenix last September. The meeting will serve as the starting point of 3GPP’s in-depth research on 5G candidate technologies.

During this meeting, 3GPP members will discuss ways to support the effective integration of new services such as IoT (Internet of Things) into 5G, and measures to ensure the compatibility of the 5G technologies. 3GPP will conduct research in these areas until next June and plans to complete the first standardizations for 5G by June 2018.

Samsung began its development of 5G technology in 2011 and successfully carried out the world’s first Gigabit (1.2 Gbps) data transmission in the millimeter-wave band in 2013. Since then, the company has continued to prove its technology leadership in 5G by achieving the world’s first 1.2 Gbps connection in a mobile environment from a vehicle travelling at 110 kilometers per hour; the fastest 5G data transmission rate while stationary (7.5 Gbps); and the world’s first handover technology that transfers 5G mmWave data connections from one base station to another.

In addition, Samsung continues to be actively engaged in a range of key global 5G research initiatives and leads multiple collaborative projects with its industrial partners, academic partners and operators around the world. Holding 17 percent of the total LTE and LTE-Advanced standard-essential patents (SEP), Samsung ranks at the top of 35 major telecommunications businesses. (Source: “2014 Results of Research on Telecom Technology Patent Trends and Patent Litigation Analysis,” Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO), April 2015.)

*3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is the world’s most influential project to standardize telecommunications technologies.

**As one of the core tech groups in 3GPP, RAN (Radio Access Network) is in charge of terminal-base station interface standards.

This week, Samsung Electronics concluded a series of successful mobile, fixed wireless and in-building penetration 5G wireless tests delivering multi-gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds at Verizon Headquarters, including live streaming of 360-degree virtual reality content using Samsung Gear VR.

Using Samsung’s 5G Hybrid Adaptive Array antenna radio technology and Verizon’s FiOS wired network, Samsung delivered 5G wireless speeds over mmWave band spectrum in several real-world use cases – including in-building and mobile environments. During the trials, Samsung also exhibited 4K UHD video content transmission over the air while in a moving vehicle using automatic beamforming multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology.

Samsung also demonstrated the power of a 5G network by successfully streaming live 360 degree virtual reality content in 4K UHD, consisting of 17 independent video feeds, to Samsung Galaxy phones with Samsung Gear VR.

Samsung’s tests were conducted at Verizon’s Basking Ridge, N.J. headquarters as part of the activities associated with the Verizon 5G Technology forum, a group dedicated to the acceleration of 5G requirements, standards and technical innovation. 5G technology is expected to drive the next wave of wireless broadband and the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting billions of devices and accelerating low latency gigabit speeds for richer content and experiences.

“Samsung is pleased to take a leadership role along with Verizon in advancing 5G standards and development,” said Youngky Kim, President and Head of the Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our successful trials in real world scenarios reflect our history of innovation in mobile devices and networks, the strength of our development teams, and our commitment to helping commercial network operators lay a 5G foundation to create the next generation of exciting technologies and services.”

With its 5G Hybrid Adaptive Array antenna technology, Samsung’s tests showcased solutions for delivering stronger, high-quality 5G wireless signals for low latency, high throughput transmission of various data, including the uninterrupted streaming of 4K UHD video content.

“Verizon is committed to driving and accelerating the rate of 5G innovation by working closely with pioneering partners like Samsung,” said Roger Gurnani, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Architect. “The result of Samsung’s technology in our real-world 5G trial proves that we are poised to usher in a new generation of wireless innovation.”

These 5G technologies highlight the strength of Samsung Electronics that combines both infrastructure and device solutions for building future networks, something that few others in the industry can match. The R&D talents and knowledge of engineers in both the mobile communications and network business units combined to deliver this leading edge 5G demonstration. Samsung expects this to be the foundation for delivering successful end-to-end 5G solutions at an industry leading pace.

To read Verizon’s full announcement on the completion of the Verizon 5G Technology Forum’s first round of tests, visit here.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, employs a diverse workforce of 178,500 and generated more than $127 billion in 2014 revenues. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with 109.5 million retail connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.verizon.com/news/