5G: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!

Vol 45: 5G Down Under - a benchmark study of 5G, 5G mmWave and LTE Performance on the Telstra Network

11/25/2024 | 40 pages
Price: $1,295.00

SRG just completed its 45th 5G benchmark study. For this endeavor we collaborated with Accuver Americas to conduct a benchmark study of Telstra’s network near Melbourne, Australia. We included an LTE versus 5G comparison as well the industry’s first look at NR-DC (5G mmWave and FR1, plus an SA core network) in action. All tests leveraged the NETGEAR Nighthawk M7 Ultra router.

Highlights of the Report

Our Thanks. We did this study with the support of Accuver Americas, who provided us with its XCAL5 drive test software and XCAP post-processing software. We used their suite of tools for this study. Accuver has been a trusted partner with us for nearly two decades. SRG is responsible for all analysis and commentary provided in this report.

The Scope. We did comparative drive tests of 5G (Band n7) and LTE (Band 7), including full buffer downlink / uplink tests and limited bit rate downlink / uplink tests. These tests allowed us to compare the performance of the two networks with a particular focus on spectral efficiency. We also did NR-DC testing (FR1 + FR2) in the Melbourne CBD, in which we looked at how/if FR1 provided a more consistent user experience above and beyond what 5G mmWave could deliver.

The LTE versus 5G Results. 5G provides significantly more capacity than LTE in the downlink direction. It was a much different story in the uplink direction for reasons that we discuss in this report.

The NR-DC Results. We challenged 5G mmWave performance by doing drive tests with the NETGEAR router placed in a non-ideal location within the vehicle. Without question, the combined use of FR1 and 5G mmWave (NR-DC with SA) provided for a more consistent user experience (data rate) than 5G mmWave by itself or with LTE as an anchor cell (NSA) since LTE bandwidth is limited compared with mid-band 5G.