Virgin Media O2 UK Trial mmW 5G Band for Broadband Speeds of 4Gbps UPDATE

Mobile operator O2 (Virgin Media), which just spent £13m to secure 800MHz (frequency) of 26GHz (band) spectrum and 1,000MHz of 40GHz spectrum in Ofcom’s auction of the two 5G centric millimetre wave (mmW) bands (here), has revealed that a test of the new spectrum has already delivered mobile broadband speeds of 4Gbps (4,000Mbps).

The “real-world” test is said to have involved O2’s latest 5G Standalone (SA) network using a trial licence for the mmWave spectrum, which saw speeds of 4Gbps being hit on a single device. But key details of the test remain unclear, such as precisely which of the two bands it used, how much spectrum frequency was harnessed, where and over what distance. Suffice to say that the headline figure of 4Gbps doesn’t tell us much without more context.

However, O2 has indicated that they already operate the “largest deployment of small cells in the UK“, reaching more than 2,000 sites, which are said by the operator to be “ideally suited to make use of mmWave spectrum“. This is because the new bands, which are too weak to deliver wide coverage, are best suited to serving busy urban areas (shopping malls, airports etc. – “High Density Areas“) and fixed wireless broadband (FWA) links with multi-gigabit broadband speeds via 5G.

Lutz Schüler, CEO of VMO2, said:

“This new investment in high speed, high capacity mobile airwaves is a strong result from the auction and pairs perfectly with our strategy to transform our mobile network and give our customers a trustworthy and reliable mobile connectivity experience wherever they are.

This is an investment for the future, building on the £2 million we already spend each day on our mobile network, with this high frequency spectrum perfectly suited to delivering incredible connectivity in crowded places like the O2 arena and other stadiums, train stations and airports.

We’ve already broken the speed barrier on our network through tests of these airwaves, and we’ll be fired up and ready to deploy our new spectrum at the right moment so our customers can benefit as soon as possible.”

The new spectrum naturally complements VMO2’s existing Mobile Transformation Plan, which sees the operator invest approximately £700m this year to future-proof its mobile network. This plan is focused on expanding wide area 4G and 5G coverage, a further dedicated small cells rollout to boost capacity in dense urban areas, and innovative solutions to address persistent network pain points including along railway lines, at airports, on motorways, and in stadiums and arenas.

We’ve asked O2 if they can provide some more details on their mmW trial and will report back if or when they respond.

UPDATE 8:56am

VMO2 informs that they used an Ofcom “Demonstration & Trial Licence” for 800MHz of spectrum frequency within the 27GHz band.