Specifically, Samsung will support the set-up of the trial with a complete end-to-end millimeter wave (26 GHz) solution. The combination of newly developed hardware technology with special software enables fast transfer rates of several Gigabits per second across the so-called “last mile.” Essentially, the technology consists of the following components: A virtual core and a 5G radio access unit on the part of Telefónica, and 5G outdoor-unit and indoor routers for the customers.

With this trial, Telefónica and Samsung are road-testing an attractive alternative to current technologies in Germany. The aim of the trial is to show that households and businesses can be supplied with high-quality Gigabit connections for an optimal customer experience without the need for laying of fiber-optic cables.

“For the first time, Telefónica Deutschland and Samsung are working hand in hand in Germany on the introduction of 5G in connection with FWA,” says Cayetano Carbajo Martín, CTO of Telefónica Deutschland. “At Telefónica Deutschland, we are confident that this trial will not only demonstrate the technical feasibility of Fixed Wireless Access in Germany, but will also provide a better network experience with regard to future technologies.”

“5G FWA is a promising, fast-to-market and cost-effective way to bring Giga-speed broadband to people across the country, and a viable alternative where fiber deployment is not feasible,” says GY Seo, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing Team, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are pleased to work with Telefónica in delivering its first 5G FWA trial. This partnership allows us to respond to user demands and explore compelling connected service opportunities in Germany.”

About Telefónica Deutschland

Telefónica Deutschland offers telecommunications services for private and business customers, as well as innovative digital products and services in the fields of the Internet of Things and data analytics. With a total of 49.4 million customer connections (as of 30 June 2018), the company is one of the leading integrated telecommunications providers in Germany. In the mobile segment alone, Telefónica Deutschland is responsible for more than 45.2 million connections – no other domestic network operator connects more people. By 2022, the company aims to become the “Mobile Customer & Digital Champion”, meaning the preferred partner for customers in the German mobile service market that allows them mobile freedom in the digital world. Through its core brand O2 and various secondary and partner brands, the company sells postpaid and prepaid mobile telecommunications products including innovative mobile data services. The basis for this is a mobile service network based on a high-performance GSM, UMTS and LTE infrastructure. Telefónica Deutschland also provides telephony and high-speed internet products, such as VDSL, in the fixed network field. Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG has been listed in the Prime Standard on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TecDAX) since 2012. In the 2017 financial year, the company generated revenue of EUR 7.3 billion with almost 9,300 employees. The company is majority owned by the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., headquartered in Madrid. With a presence in 21 countries and a customer base of almost 350 million connections, the group is one of the world’s biggest telecommunications providers.

“At MWC 2018, Samsung plans to show how our homes, cars and cities can be transformed by building user-centric 5G networks” said Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Since the beginning of our 5G research in 2012, Samsung stood firm among industry players to trust in the potentials of the millimeter wave spectrum. Our efforts towards advancing this technology will see the light this year, making 5G a reality and opening up new territories’ possibilities for consumers, operators and enterprises.”

Samsung has developed the world’s first complete commercial 5G FWA solutions, which includes: commercial form-factor 5G home routers (CPEs) for both indoors and outdoors, 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) comprised of a radio access unit and virtualized RAN, a next-generation core, as well as AI-powered 3D radio frequency planning tools and services. Using in-house technology and assets, Samsung has managed to develop the first commercial ASIC-based 5G modems and mmWave RFICs, enabling the design of compact access units and CPEs.

These products have already been proven through months of field trials in multiple markets. On February 23rd, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted authorization of Samsung’s 5G access units. These are the first 5G millimeter-wave products in the world to secure government regulatory approval—a milestone achieved through close collaboration with the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.

The solutions will be deployed in the first commercial 5G network to be launched in 2018 in the U.S. For more details, refer to Verizon Selects Samsung for 5G Commercial Launch.

Samsung will also present its first 3GPP Release 15-compliant 5G NR products supporting spectrum bands both below and above 6GHz, to be made available in 2018.

5G-powered Smart Cities

The solutions will enable 5G connectivity for deployments covering a broad range of use cases, greatly enhancing an operator’s ability to explore various business cases and scenarios. A demonstration of a 5G-powered smart city at Samsung’s MWC booth will showcase the difference next-generation technology can bring to streets and transportation, so they are much safer and more convenient. Other demonstrations that illustrate how 5G will work in homes, stadiums, cars and trains are also planned to be presented at the booth.

Other Samsung solutions to be presented will include new LTE radio units and massive MIMO solutions, cloud platform, user-centric network optimization tools as well as services tailored to operators and enterprises’ specific needs.

Samsung Networks’ booth at MWC is located at the Exhibit Hall 2 Stand 2M20 in Fira Gran Via, and will be open from February 26th to March 1st, 2018. To learn more about MWC 2018, please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.

“It brings great pleasure to see where all the contributions we have been making on 5G specifications are leading us,” said Hong-beom Jeon, Executive Vice President, Head of Infra laboratory, KT. “The fact that 5G is no longer a dream owes its debt to the collaborations we have carried out with operators like Verizon and vendors like Samsung. Our efforts have enabled some of the most demanding tasks to come to fruition.”

“By working closely with industry leaders like KT and Samsung, we are finally making 5G a reality,” said Ed Chan, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Architect, Verizon. “Seeing Samsung’s 5G end-to-end solutions in action, including a working prototype 5G tablet, underscores how important our collaborative relationship has been in helping accelerate the availability of commercial 5G mobility for customers. As we say at Verizon, ‘we don’t wait for the future, we build it.’ We are glad to be working with like-minded partners to build the 5G future globally.”

“We have been working closely with KT and Verizon to demonstrate mobile 5G use cases at two prestigious global events,” said Woojune Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of North American Business, Samsung Electronics. “This demonstration conducted today with KT and Verizon represents a huge milestone for us, showing our contribution to the development of early 5G global specifications and 3GPP NR (New Radio), and spotlighting the next generation Samsung technologies that let operators implement robust new services.”

Samsung enabled the demonstration of 5G experiences at the event by supplying network Infrastructure composed of 28GHz 5G access units, 5G home routers(CPEs), virtualized RAN and virtualized core network, as well as the prototype 5G device. Samsung has leveraged in-house technology and assets to develop the first commercial ASIC-based 5G modems and mmWave RFICs, and with these technical advancements, Samsung has been able to bring one of the smallest 5G radio base stations and 5G home routers (CPEs) to market.

Among the Samsung 5G network products demonstrated at the Verizon and KT sponsored sports events is the fully-functioning prototype handheld 5G tablet – capable of running on multi-gigabit per second speeds via 5G networks, as well as the latest 4G LTE network speeds. The proto-type tablet is also capable of supporting data session handovers between 4G LTE and 5G and demonstrates advancements in chipset and antenna technology required to support future commercial devices.

The three companies have been working closely on 5G research and development since 2015, including in Verizon’s 5G Technical Forum (5GTF) and KT’s PyeongChang 5G Special Interest Group (5G SIG), which collectively released early 5G specifications with the aim of building a strong 5G ecosystem. This collaboration generated valuable data that helped inform and accelerate the 3GPP NR 5G global standard.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, generated $126 billion in 2017 revenues. The company operates America’s most reliable wireless network and the nation’s premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated solutions to businesses worldwide. Its Oath subsidiary reaches about one billion people around the world with a dynamic house of media and technology brands.

Samsung’s new end-to-end 5G product lineup includes 5G chipsets (RFIC and Modem), a 5G Radio base station – Access Unit(top left), a 5G Home Router – Customer Premise Equipment(top right), and a Next-Generation Core. As illustrated here, when placed in a window, facing a 5G Radio base station, the 5G Home Router will offer users gigabit home broadband service.

When 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) networks expand to diverse use cases, they’ll offer a highly advanced and flexible means to provide network connections for many different devices, including IoT technology and even connected cars. As more devices connect, they’ll require more base stations to support them, which typically connect to the network via fiber optic cables. This exhibit elaborates on how 5G wireless backhaul will connect base stations directly to the core network, which means more data capacity in a given area and easier deployment for terminals like CCTV and signage.

With 5G, video analysis technology, which could feasibly be used to identify individuals on video feeds, will benefit from high-speed data transmission, edge computing, accommodate citywide HD video feeds and real-time video processing, and also become easier to apply in a range of business areas.

The rise of HD video, virtual reality and augmented reality content has led to drastic increases in data use. Indian network operator Jio, which handles some of the world’s heaviest 4G LTE data traffic, utilizes Samsung’s Data Monitoring & Analysis (DMA) and Voice Monitoring & Analysis (VoMA) tools to identify root causes of congestion and maximizes user experience.

Samsung created this 3D RF planning solution, which uses 3D maps to accurately analyze building distribution – a critical factor when planning networks – collects service quality information, and automatically suggests the best options to enhance users’ experience, such as locations to install additional base stations.

Samsung also announced a full lineup of small cell products for homes and enterprises that support shared spectrums (CBRS and LAA) and wireless access points – to tackle network overload and service quality degradation, especially in indoor environments.

Samsung will be exhibiting these technologies and solutions at its MWC 2017 Networks Booth (Exhibit Hall 2 Stand 2M10) from February 27 March 2 in Barcelona.