China Mobile ramps up 5G preparations with ZTE, Qualcomm in second phase trials

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ZTE will support equipment based on the ‘5G New Radio’ standard as part of the 5G trial. Photo: Reuters.

Published: 6:30pm, 22 Feb 2017Updated: 2:49am, 28 Apr 2019

China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator, is ratcheting up its 5G preparations with plans for over-the-air field trials on the mainland’s 3.5-gigahertz spectrum band, employing key technologies from ZTE Corp and Qualcomm Technologies.

The trials will be conducted in the second half of this year and comprise the second phase of China Mobile’s 5G testing programme, part of efforts to help ensure a timely commercial 5G network launch, according to Wang Xiaoyun, the general manager at the operator’s technology department, in a joint statement on Wednesday with the firm’s two project partners.

Wang said the collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and ZTE is also expected to support rapid validation of their devices and equipment, which are based on the “5G New Radio” specifications being developed by the telecommunications association known as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as part of future universal 5G standards.

China Mobile had 851.2 milliontotal mobile subscribers as of January 31, 2017. Photo: AP

Shenzhen-based ZTE is China’s largest-listed telecommunications equipment supplier, while Qualcomm Technologies is the operating subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed mobile chip giant Qualcomm.

Their joint initiative has come more than two months after China Mobile outlined its 5G roadmap

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