Qualcomm : AIS, Qualcomm and ZTE Announce the World’s First 5G NR-DC Showcase for 2.6GHz and 26GHz in Thailand

AIS, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and ZTE announced today the world's first 5G NR-DC (New Radio Dual Connectivity) showcase in the field with 2.6GHz and 26GHz, achieving 8.5Gbps peak downlink speed and 2.17Gbps peak uplink speed with a single mobile device. As part of the joint effort, this collaboration combines two major 5G frequency bands, Sub-6 and 5G mmWave, to enhance the capabilities of Thailand's 5G network and extend the 5G application landscape.

The test was conducted at the AIS commercial 5G site in Korat, Thailand，using a smartphone form-factor test device powered by Snapdragon® X65 5G Modem-RF System, and ZTE latest mmWave AAU network infrastructure equipment.

The NR-DC was implemented with one 100MHz carrier in 2.6GHz, and four 200MHz carriers in 26GHz. The test achieved 8.5Gbps peak downlink speed and 2.17Gbps peak uplink speed demonstrating the extraordinary capability and flexibility of NR-DC for diversified requirements from individual consumers and industry leaders.

This NR-DC showcase drives the commercial progress of 5G mmWave into the fast lane in Thailand. AIS, Qualcomm Technologies and ZTE are together committed to accelerating and growing 5G for capability enhancement, efficiency improvement and application boundary extension.

"AIS's key goal is to develop the smart 5G network as a national infrastructure with investments of 30,000-35,000 MB," commented Wasit Wattanasap, Head of Nationwide Operation and Support Business Unit, Advanced Info Service Pcl. (AIS). "We are the licensee holding the most spectrum in low-band, mid-band and high-band or mmWave, which has the outstanding feature of rapid data transmission with low latency. We have never stopped deploying innovations to level up the network, including 5G Non Standalone (NSA) / Standalone (SA), Voice over New Radio (VoNR) and 5G carrier aggregation (CA), to provide increasingly improved experiences to Thai customers, which was our intention when we joined the auction for spectrum."

"Most recently, we have continued our collaboration with ZTE and Qualcomm Technologies, to jointly trial 5G NR-DC technology. It is a crucial step to combine different 5G spectrum, 2600 MHz (mid-band) and 26GHz (high-band) in a world-first. This enables downloads of up to 8.5Gbps, and uplinks of up to 2.17Gbps. This trial gave us a wider channel for the signal and extremely low latency. For instance, there could be streaming games online (cloud game), controlling driverless vehicles and commanding robots remotely in real-time. Moreover, the trial supports the development of new models of chipsets in the future, to speed up data transfer even more."

"This cooperation highlights how AIS is the only provider using its licensed spectrum of every waveband for development to support business growth in various dimensions. It is also continuous transformation and updates for Thai consumers. Taking this joint-trial as a good start, we are confident that AIS 5G network is ready to expand the use of mmWave technology and support growth of the business sector in various aspects," concluded Wasit.

"Our collaboration with AIS and ZTE proves the feasibility of deploying 5G mmWave in Thailand," said ST Liew, Vice President, QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies Asia-Pacific Pte. Ltd. and President, Qualcomm South East Asia and Australia. "Qualcomm Technologies believes that 5G mmWave will be the key to unlocking the full potential of 5G. The possibility is endless and we are proud to take the first step in bringing the full benefits of 5G mmWave to the country."

"We're pleased to work with AIS and Qualcomm Technologies to achieve this milestone, which lays a technology validation foundation for 5G mmWave commercialization," said Mei Zhong Hua, Senior Vice President, ZTE Corporation. "With broader 5G opportunities enabled by mmWave, we will join hands with partners to continuously drive mmWave development, create ultimate experiences and usher in a wonderful 5G era."

About AIS
Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS) is the number one Digital Life Service Provider with the most spectra to provide service, including the 1450MHz band. The company has the most subscribers in Thailand, counting over 42.7 million subscribers as of March 2021. It is ready to power Thailand with 5G technology which currently covers 77 provinces through 3 core businesses: mobile phones, high-speed home broadband through AIS Fibre, and Digital Services in 5 aspects of video, the Cloud, digital payments, the Internet of Things (IoT) and services provided jointly with partners. The company is also expanding into new areas of business such as AIS eSports and AIS Insurance Service. All of this supports a robust digital infrastructure for the country, boosts the industrial sector's competitive potential and upgrades quality of life for all Thais.

About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is the world's leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. We bring the benefits of mobile to new industries, including automotive, the internet of things, and computing, and are leading the way to a world where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.

About ZTE
ZTE, founded in 1985, is the world's leading provider of integrated communications and information solutions. Through providing innovative technology and product solutions to telecom operators and government and enterprise customers in more than 160 countries and regions, the company enables users all over the world to enjoy all-round communication such as voice, data, multimedia and wireless broadband.