Finnish telecoms gear maker Nokia on Wednesday said it has successfully demonstrated a live microwave connection using the D-band spectrum (130-175GHz) with the objective of finding how higher frequencies beyond 100GHz can support increased capacity requirements of mobile networks.
D-band enables much higher bandwidth than other microwave bands and will serve as an ultra-high-capacity extension for 5G backhaul and fronthaul in dense urban environments. The trial was conducted by Nokia utilizing Nokia Bell Labs technology. The trial used an integrated dual-transceiver using a 2GHz channel bandwidth operating over a distance of approximately 200 meters. This solution was developed by Nokia Bell Labs.
Notably, Nokia with India’s Vodafone Idea in November last year had piloted E-band for backhaul connection. During the trial, Nokia connected small cells and macrocells with a “fiber-like” speed through the E-band (60GHz to 90GHz) spectrum and achieved a backhaul capacity of 9.85Gbps. “Together with Vi, we achieved 9.85 Gbps of backhaul capacity using E-band Microwave in 80GHz spectrum, unlocking the true potential of 5G,” the telecom company stated.