News
Turin facility to evaluate 5G potential of frequencies ranging from 6 GHz to 100 GHz.
Telecom Italia this week claimed to be the first European telco to open a millimetre Wave (mmWave) spectrum lab dedicated to researching its potential use in 5G networks.
Located in Turin, the facility comprises a far-field compact antenna test range and a spherical near-field test range, enabling the operator to evaluate the performance of frequencies ranging from 6 GHz to 100 GHz.
"5G will support a new range of services and applications able to support the digitalisation of the economy, with a special focus on the Internet of Things and vertical markets," said Gabriela Styf Sjoman, head of engineering and Telecom Italia Group Labs at Telecom Italia, in a statement on Wednesday. "To support all these applications, a strong capacity and performance increase of the wireless network is required."
While mmWave spectrum can support very high data rates, its propagation characteristics make it challenging to use for wide area mobile coverage, necessitating the use of beamforming technology to direct signals between the transmitter and the receiver.
Test ranges like those being put to use in Telecom Italia’s new lab can help operators identify and overcome mmWave spectrum’s inherent limitations.
"Very high frequencies and innovative antenna systems are among the main building blocks of 5G. The new lab opened in Torino will allow us to understand, develop and exploit these new technologies, and to cooperate with key international partners to accelerate equipment availability," Styf Sjoman said.
