TELUS and Huawei announced the deployment of a Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) in the heart of the 5G Living Lab in Vancouver, Canada.
Telecoms are making investment in HetNet, one of the key building blocks for 5G that will become a reality by 2020. HetNet technology combines multiple types of cells such as outdoor macrocells and microcells and indoor picocells to enhance both coverage and capacity in crowded areas and inside buildings.
The HetNet network enables seamless transitions between cell types to ensure uninterrupted streaming of ultra-high-bandwidth applications like high-definition video, video conferencing or cloud-based services as devices move throughout the network.
Meanwhile, Ericsson Mobility Report forecasts 550 million 5G subscriptions in 2022. North America will lead the way in uptake of 5G subscriptions, where a quarter of all mobile subscriptions are forecast to be for 5G in 2022.
Ibrahim Gedeon, chief technical officer of TELUS, said: “These trials will one day enable the likes of driverless cars; smart homes, businesses and cities; new innovations in healthcare; as well as yet-to-be-imagined applications, devices and services powered by faster and reliable wireless connections.”
In addition, TELUS and Huawei have enabled a C-RAN (Centralized Radio Access Network) across multiple 5G Living Lab sites in Vancouver and are now operating the largest C-RAN deployment in North America.
C-RAN network architecture centralizes the management of multiple cell sites, enabling intelligent allocation of radio capacity and improved network throughput in crowded urban areas or at special event locations.
TELUS and Huawei have been trialling technologies since late last year in a live, real-world setting – at 5G Living Lab in Vancouver. While 5G is expected to be available by 2020, TELUS customers in Vancouver will benefit from these latest technological innovations right away.
“Through our joint efforts in the 5G Living Lab, we are ensuring Vancouver and Canada are at the forefront of deploying the technologies that will bring 5G to life in the years ahead,” said Sean Yang, president of Huawei Canada.
Earlier, TELUS announced $1 billion investment to connect Vancouver to TELUS PureFibre network.
TELUS with $12.7 billion of annual revenue has 12.6 million subscriber connections, including 8.5 million wireless subscribers, 1.6 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.4 million residential network access lines and more than 1.0 million TELUS TV customers.
