02.10.2024
Bundling of 5G frequencies:O2 Telefónica achieves speeds of 1.7 Gbit/s with 5G standalone
More speed: O2 Telefónica bundles four frequency bands for 5G Standalone for the first time
O2 Telefónica has reached a milestone in the further development of 5G. By bundling four frequency bands in 5G standalone mode, the company achieved peak download speeds of more than 1.7 gigabits per second. For comparison: that is almost twice as fast as the most powerful commercial fiber-optic connections currently available. The measurements were taken during a live test on the O2 network in Potsdam. 5G standalone, also known as 5G Plus, has been available to customers on the entire O2 Telefónica 5G network since October 2023.
Matthias Sauder
“O2 Telefónica is actively driving the future of digital networking for consumers and for the economy. For the first time, we have bundled four frequencies in the standalone 5G network. The speeds achieved in the test illustrate the possibilities that 5G standalone offers in practice. They are a taste of further technological developments and the network expansion of the future,” emphasizes Matthias Sauder, Director Networks at O2 Telefónica. “For our customers, the progress in 5G technology means even faster mobile internet and better network quality in the future.”
One of the innovation sites is located on a high-rise building in Potsdam
O2 Telefónica carried out the tests together with the network supplier Nokia in the so-called Innovation Cluster in Potsdam. These are several locations in the O2 Telefónica mobile network where the two telecommunications companies test the use of the latest technologies and which are also open to customers.
For the current test, O2 Telefónica used the existing 5G frequencies at 3.6 GHz and 700 MHz. In addition, the frequencies at 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz, which are normally used for 4G, were used for 5G. By bundling these four 5G frequency bands – also known as carrier aggregation – O2 Telefónica was able to achieve new 5G peak performances on the network. With the spectrum used, up to 2 Gbit/s can be achieved in a laboratory environment. A Samsung S24 Ultra was used for the measurements.
O2 Telefónica tests modern 5G technologies in the live network in Potsdam
O2 Telefónica is continuously expanding its own 5G network to further improve the network experience of its customers and to enable new innovative applications. The company reaches 96 percent of the population with 5G. In particular, 5G standalone opens up new possibilities for consumers, industry and the economy. Thanks to higher speeds, even the largest data packets can be downloaded in no time. At the same time, even more users at a mobile base station benefit from high surfing speeds at the same time.
