The trial will involve Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna technology with adaptive beamforming and beam tracking techniques, including the use of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments.

The hope is that the trials yield insights into the integrating mmWave technologies into mobile networks and devices.

“This development is a big step forward in 5G readiness,” said Mike Wright, group managing director networks, Telstra. “In addition to the ongoing growth in data consumption, customers are starting to use applications that use more data (e.g. virtual reality) and also require lower latency, for example critical industrial and medical applications such as remote surgery.”

“This collaboration between Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies will help ensure 5G is ready for the Australian environment, including making sure it is able to be scaled up for our vast distance and sparse population, as well as ensuring our customers will be among the first in the world to enjoy the benefits of 5G.”

According to the companies, the trial will use 5G system solutions and devices from Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies to demonstrate real world scenarios across a set of use cases and deployment situations.

“We have a long history of driving mobile innovation together with Qualcomm Technologies and Telstra,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and chief strategy and technology officer at Ericsson.

“This important 5G standard-based trial collaboration will demonstrate compliance to 3GPP and support the accelerated commercialization of the global 3GPP 5G standard in Australia. By working with leading operators and ecosystem players in 5G, together we can enable global scale and drive the industry in one common direction.”

“We’ve had longstanding success with Telstra and Ericsson with early 4G and 3G testing and deployments, so we are pleased to be continuing that work to accelerate the path to 5G,” said Matt Grob, CTO at Qualcomm Technologies.

“5G NR trials are essential to ensure a unified global 5G standard through 3GPP, as well as timely commercial deployments of 5G NR networks. Telstra brings a unique environment to test new mobile technologies and our long history of innovation allows us to be in the forefront of the 5G wireless revolution.”

The 3GPP 5G NR standard-based interoperability testing and trials are due to start in the second half of 2017, and will follow decisions of Release 15 – the global 5G standard that will make use of both sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrum bands. Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies have also announced trial plans in the US and Korea, to support operation in millimeter Wave (mmWave) and mid-band spectrum, accelerating commercial deployments in the 28GHz, 39GHz and sub-6GHz bands.

See also: Mobile World Congress 2017: Get the full Electronics Weekly guide