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5G NR Benchmark Study: Verizon 5G UltraWideband (Bn77)
Dublin, Feb. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "5G NR Benchmark Study Vol 22: Verizon 5G UltraWideband (Bn77) Benchmark Study" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The benchmark study includes a very thorough analysis of the new Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network (60 MHz TDD @ Bn77) that the operator launched on January 19th.
The Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network is nothing like its predecessor, the Verizon 5G Nationwide network. Average downlink throughput was easily 15-20x higher than what was observed in October 2020 and the Bn77 coverage was substantially better than what was observed a little more than one year ago with Bn5. The Bn77 spectral efficiency was also much higher than observed with any of the operator's LTE bands. The publisher logged at least 500 kilometers while drive testing with Bn77 present a good majority of the time - this time excluded the low double-digit percentage of the time when the smartphone was using mmWave. NR-DC is forthcoming in a few months but it isn't available today. They even ventured far west of Minneapolis while driving on remote gravel roads past horse farms while attached to the network.
Bn77 and LTE coverage was compared using all the traditional metrics. The publisher also dedicated much time comparing Bn77 and Bn41 (T-Mobile 2.5 GHz) performance and coverage, not to mention the effective coverage area of a cell site deployed in a rural area. While the laws of physics still exist, the results also indicate that while the areas with Bn41 modestly exceeded the areas with Bn77, the Bn77 uplink coverage and overall performance was superior to that of Bn41. No obvious Bn77 shortcomings were documented compared with the operator's LTE network coverage. Results indicate a one-to-one overlay and to the extent there were coverage gaps, there were attributed to existing LTE cell sites that haven't been upgraded with Bn77 radio assets. All testing was done outdoors, meaning in-building Bn77 coverage could be an issue.
Verizon has also deployed FDD-TDD carrier aggregation, which provides a critical performance advantage. The operator's 5G NR mmWave coverage has greatly expanded since last tested by the publisher - the total throughput with 400 MHz (4 carriers) was higher than what was observed with 800 MHz (8 carriers) when the network first launched.
Highlights of the Report include the following:
Publisher Methodology: a recently-purchased Galaxy S21 FE smartphone was used with a Verizon test SIM to collect downlink/uplink performance data while driving ~500 kilometers and consuming 1.48 TB of data. Chipset diagnostic messages were analyzed using time and area binning (5x5 meter grids) to provide the most meaningful results and analysis.
FDD-TDD CA and UL-256QAM is alive and well. The Verizon network supported both features which we believe are critical for a successful mid-band 5G NR deployment. Greater use of FDD-TDD CA and device support for UL-256QAM are important success factors.
Bn77 vs Bn41 Coverage. Although the area covered by Bn41 was modestly larger than it was for Bn77, the Bn77 uplink coverage and performance (average throughput, spectral efficiency) was better than Bn41. Data suggests a one-for-one overlay of Bn77 on the existing LTE cell grid with no obvious detrimental impact on overall performance (e.g., performance at cell handover, etc.).
Fixed Wireless Access is in the works. Bn77 capacity in rural areas, including in areas where another broadband option doesn't exist, greatly exceeds what is needed for eMBB. Analysis of throughput versus distance to the serving cell site also revealed rural coverage at 3.7 GHz won't be a limiting factor. mmWave would make a great complementary solution.
Key Topics Covered:
Key Observations
Downlink Performance Results and Analysis
Performance Related Analysis
Uplink Performance and Coverage Analysis - Bn41 versus Bn77
Distance and Vehicular Speed Analysis
Test Methodology
Final Thoughts
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1ue24n
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