- Verizon and Ericsson completed a pre-standard 6G field call in the 7 GHz band
- The trial used Ericsson proof-of-concept equipment at a live Verizon site in Concord, California
- The milestone shows the equipment works, but questions remain about range, data rates, site density and cost
Exactly what the wireless industry will get by way of spectrum in the 7 GHz band is unknown, but Verizon and Ericsson are wasting no time exploring what the band can do for 6G.
In fact, they’re claiming a global first with the successful completion of a pre-standard 6G field call in the 7 GHz band. The experiment was conducted last month using 400 megahertz of spectrum.
“This achievement is not only an indoor penetration test: The confirmed field result is an outdoor call, while the broader proof-of-concept examines how 6G performance carries from open air into indoor spaces,” the companies said. “Testing characterizes coverage, throughput, latency, stability and feature behavior under realistic conditions, including line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight paths, foliage, obstacles and outside-in penetration through different glass and building materials.”
Ericsson’s proof-of-concept gear
The exercise consisted of Ericsson 6G proof-of-concept equipment installed at Verizon’s commercial network site in Concord, California.
According to Ericsson, which received Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct the trial, the Concord location was selected due to its proximity to the nearby Verizon lab in Walnut Creek.
Ericsson’s base station was deployed in a site shelter while user equipment was in a small house on wheels.
The house on wheels was an approximately 12-by-8-foot enclosure that supports stationary outdoor and indoor radio configurations. Power and battery backup were included, along with various wall and window materials to provide a differentiated environment for testing indoor coverage.
In the press release, Verizon Chief Technology Officer Yago Tenorio said Ericsson plays a vital role in the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum and their shared mission to move 6G from theoretical research into practical, real-world reality.
“This outdoor 6G milestone demonstrates how close industry collaboration helps us generate the key technical insights needed to shape global standards and understand how future 6G networks could be designed, deployed and experienced,” Tenorio said.
A Verizon spokesperson told Fierce that it’s also doing tests with Samsung in the 7 GHz band, but details were not immediately available.
Details remain sketchy
Steve Crowley, an engineering consultant, said the press release on its own doesn’t say a whole lot about what Verizon and Ericsson accomplished or expect to do, having omitted details like achievable range at realistic transmit power, data rates at the cell edge, number of sites required and overall cost.
“As they say, it’s a proof-of-concept. It shows that the equipment functions, not that the approach is viable,” he said.
Regarding outdoor versus indoor, “there is more to come. They say the small house has ‘varied wall and window materials to enable differentiated testing of indoor coverage.’ Getting a 7 GHz signal to the house is the easier part,” he told Fierce. “What in the way of power and equipment will be needed to provide a usable 7 GHz signal inside the house? That work commences" now that the concept was proven.
The companies noted that this was just a pre-standard proof-of-concept demonstration and isn’t a commercial 6G service launch by any means. They plan to continue analyzing field results and apply what they learn to 6G research.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is conducting a study on the 7 GHz band, the results of which are expected before the end of this year.
Read more about Verizon and 6G on Fierce Network:
Verizon adds more firepower to its 6G Innovation Forum
Verizon and friends look to lead with 6G lab