Call made with a standard smartphone over a single tower extending over 100km
Telco provider Telstra and Ericsson have partnered to deliver the “world’s longest 5G call”. The call spanned 113 kilometres with both recipients connected to a single tower in Gippsland, Australia. The tower was part of Telstra’s commercial network. It used standalone 5G and spectrum in the 850MHz band.
Telstra and Ericsson achieved the world record long distance 5G SA call using Telstra’s 850MHz spectrum. They combined this with Ericsson’s latest commercial 5G SA network software. The technology will enable Telstra to expand its 5G footprint even further in regional areas, they said.
Reaching out to rural areas
Telstra group executive networks & IT Nikos Katinakis praised the result. “This achievement is another example of Telstra’s drive to innovate for the benefit of all of its customers, particularly those in regional areas.”
The test used a “commercially available smartphone” and the latest Ericsson 5G standalone software. The companies hailed the result as allowing Telstra to expand its 5G reach in regional areas. “Telstra will selectively enable this long-range capability based on the local requirements and environment of each mobile site,” the telco said.
A promise for the enterprise
The pair also announced they would be teaming up to provide a 5G industrial wireless platform for enterprises. They will target companies looking for private networks using either their own, or Telstra’s spectrum. “Enterprises will now be able to benefit from 4G/5G capabilities while maintaining operational control, keeping their critical data on-site and making their business more efficient and productive,” Ericsson ANZ chief Emilio Romeo said. Enterprises now have excellent coverage options between Telstra’s commercial 5G 75% population coverage and a private network solution focused on their business needs.”
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