Movistar and Ericsson complete the first 5G test in Argentina

Both companies used Ericsson's 5G mmWave 28 GHz testbed, which supports the advanced features of 5G technology. The test reached a record speed of 20 GBps and is the first step to prepare Argentina for next-generation technology.

Ericsson y Movistar have carried out the first 5G test system in Argentina, which will allow telecommunications operators and other ecosystem partners, such as academic institutions, health professionals, energy and agriculture, to test the capabilities of this technology in an active network. Both companies used Ericsson's 5G mmWave 28 GHz testbed, achieving a record speed of 20 Gbps.

The solution presented includes base stations and device prototypes to showcase advanced 5G technologies including Massive MIMO, Massive Beamforming, Distributed MIMO, Multi-User MIMO and Beam Tracking, along with multi-gigabit data rates and ultra-low latency, which will be key requirements for future mobile broadband and industrial use cases.

The test took place at the Movistar Independencia Building in Buenos Aires, with the presence of the Minister of Modernization Andrés Ibarra, executives from both companies and government authorities.

Nicolás Brancoli, vice president of Ericsson for South America, has been convinced that "with 5G, customers will be able to enjoy new applications, such as augmented reality and 4K video streaming, and industries will benefit from innovative applications of the Internet of Things (IoT), such as smart transportation and remote medical assistance, which will create great opportunities. With 5G expected to be launched on the global market by 2020, this test is the first step to prepare Argentina for next generation technology.”

Federico Rava, executive president of Telefónica Argentina, commented that "Ericsson has chosen Movistar because it understands that it is the most developed partner for this initiative. Both companies are already working in a coordinated manner on testing the design of the 5G network and training the teams so that when it is deployed, this process is already completed. The city of Buenos Aires was chosen as the headquarters for this trial because it has the ideal geographical characteristics, population density and high radio use. an efficient test of this future technology, which will offer customers and society in general connectivity experiences that will open doors to countless possibilities.”