The world's first 5G NR-DC demo achieves over 8Gb/s speeds in Thailand

5G's development has become all but synonymous with 2 bands of frequencies: sub-6GHz and mmWave, which has necessitated the production of different variants of the same phone for compatibility with either one in some cases. However, it now seems they can be combined to result in a connection for the same device.

An inaugural test of this new implementation, known as 5G New Radio Dual Connectivity or 5G NR-DC, has been completed at a commercial facility belonging to the carrier AIS located in Korat, Thailand. The company claims to have successfully combined the 2.6GHz and 26GHz frequencies of the mobile data standard.

The resulting NR-DC signal reportedly produced downlink and uplink speeds of 8.5 gigabits per second (Gb/s) and 2.17Gb/s respectively, as measured using a reference smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem/RF system and mmWave AAU infrastructure hardware supplied by ZTE.

Accordingly, these partners now assert that this proof of working NR-DC could unlock the potential of 5G to power use-cases such as game-streaming, vehicular autonomy and automation in general. In more practical, immediate terms, it may, according to the president of Qualcomm's South East Asia and Australian division ST Liew, boost the feasiblity of mmWave in the Thai market.