Switzerland's first 5G network goes live in March

Impetus

Sunrise announced today that its 5G mobile network will commence operations in March 2019. They plan to cover 150 towns and cities by the end of March. The initial focus will be on providing fiber speed (ie 1 Gb/sec) to small urbanisations. The shortage of terminals is probably one of the drivers behind this strategy. I suspect most handset producers have a 5G product or two ready to sell, and are waiting for the networks.

Qualcomm, the chip technology developer, is already in their second generation of 5G chips – meanwhile Intel is still working on their first offering. It’s main competitor, Swisscom, says that it will continue to support 3G until 2024 at least. Salt, the other Swiss mobile network owned by the same entity as Eir announced last year that it will be using a Nokia platform. Apple does not use Qualcomm chips, so one expects them not to be first with 5G

Malheureusement, Eir and Salt are like chalk and cheese. Salt already offers 10 Gbits/sec fiber broadband.

Picture of a 5G cellsite taken in Laax in November last year (it shows the challenge of the terrain in extremis)

https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/5g-6-fragen-und-antworten-ld.1458960

https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/sunrise-legt-im-5g-rennen-einen-blitzstart-hin-ld.1461508

https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/sunrise-lanciert-5g-bereits-naechsten-monat-ld.1461468

(Links: de/ch)

Johnboy1951

I understood the final spec has not been ratified yet for 5G ...... and won't be until end 2019 or early 2020.

Have I misunderstood?

ShaunC

Love the camouflaged building in the first picture

The Cush

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I understood the final spec has not been ratified yet for 5G ...... and won't be until end 2019 or early 2020.

Have I misunderstood?

5g development, current status

The first phase of 5G specifications in Release-15 will be completed by April 2019 to accommodate the early commercial deployment. The second phase in Release-16 is due to be completed by April 2020 for submission to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as a candidate of IMT-2020 technology

ED E

Fun sidenote, Swiss mobile networks are gimped by tinfoil hat radiated power limits so they don't perform as well as the rest of Europe (in built up areas which is where it matters).

Don't tell impy though, his hardon for them continues.