Ericsson, Qualcomm achieve first 5G NR call on CBRS spectrum

Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies have announced that they have successfully completed the first over-the-air 5G New Radio (NR) call on CBRS (Citizen Broadband Radio Service) spectrum in a recent field trial. The combination of 5G NR over CBRS aims to enable a wide range of new applications for enterprises and industry verticals, which in turn supports the proliferation of private networks, further propelling the Industry 4.0 evolution. Ericsson has described the call as a “significant achievement” for the industry. 

Paul Challoner, Vice President, Network Product Solutions, Ericsson North America, said: “The promise of 5G NR in the CBRS band offers nearly unlimited potential for enterprise applications and industries, and we are excited to once again collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies in this industry-first achievement. This demonstrates our technology leadership and investments to date, and the fruits of our collaboration to drive the promise of private networks in the Industry 4.0 evolution.”

The CBRS spectrum 

CBRS, a shared spectrum from 3.55 GHz to 3.7 GHz, has been the catalyst for innovation to expand cellular usage beyond enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) in the US, Ericsson claimed. Combined with the commercial rollout of Priority Access Licenses (PAL), LTE-based CBRS network deployments are rapidly gaining momentum and proliferating across thousands of sites across the country. These sites enable use cases such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), mobile network densification, and private cellular networks.

Francesco Grilli, Vice President of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, said: “This 5G NR call over CBRS spectrum is a significant milestone with Ericsson in enabling the full potential of 5G and will help address the increasing data demand and evolving use cases for wireless connectivity among consumers, enterprises, governments, and other organisations. 

“Qualcomm Technologies has been at the forefront of commercialisation of CBRS with support since 2017 in our Snapdragon® Mobile Platforms, LTE modems, and the Snapdragon X55 and X65 5G Modem-RF Systems, and we are excited to create opportunities for deployment and to enable better user experiences in a wide array of scenarios,” Grilli added. 

With the rollout of 5G NR network equipment in the CBRS band, private cellular network performance will deliver improved throughput, reduced latency, enhanced reliability, and greater connection density, allowing for advanced applications such as mobile robotics, connected manufacturing, and facilities, augmented reality industrial applications, and much more. In addition, the coordination of CBRS and licensed spectrum, such as C-band, through carrier aggregation further delivers increased capacity to enhance the user experience.

Having completed the trial, both companies are one step closer to 5G services on the CBRS shared spectrum, ushering in more innovation via 5G on this transformative shared spectrum, Ericsson said.