(Hong Kong, 24 October 2018) SmarTone collaborates with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and Ericsson to showcase the power of 5G data connectivity in Hong Kong during the Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit.
The preview is powered by SmarTone’s powerful network and Ericsson’s 5G mobile network infrastructure. Through this collaboration, the companies have successfully demonstrated a 5G connection on a Qualcomm Technologies’ smartphone form factor device based on the latest 5G NSA (Non-standalone) mode in the 3GPP Release 15.
Mr Stephen Chau, Chief Technology Officer of SmarTone said, “Following the success of the territory’s first 5G demo last year, we embarked another major leap for 5G development in Hong Kong with this trial. We have been working closely with our technology partners to prepare for the 5G commercialisation in Hong Kong, which customers will ultimately experience the benefits brought by this advanced technology.”
“At Qualcomm Technologies, we develop breakthrough technologies to transform how the world connects, computes and communicates. The demonstration shows that our commitment to 5G innovation is helping to enable the acceleration of the 5G NR standard and the commercialisation of 5G networks and mobile devices in early 2019,” says Mr Jim Cathey, senior vice president and president, Asia Pacific and India, Qualcomm International, Inc.
Ms Petra Schirren, Head of Ericsson Hong Kong and Macau, says, “5G presents great opportunities for our industry in terms of new and innovative use cases. Our collaboration with Qualcomm and SmarTone shows the strength of the 5G ecosystem as we continue to accelerate innovation for this market and prepare Hong Kong for the commercial launch of 5G.”
The 5G smart terminal and mobile network operates on the 28 GHz band, one of the mmWave bands expected to be available in Hong Kong in April 2019. The 5G standard in 3GPP Release 15 was finalised at the end 2017, and commercialisation of the 5G network equipment and smartphone is expected in early 2019.