NEC and NTT Docomo to trial 5G technologies

NEC Corporation has reached an agreement with NTT Docomo to jointly conduct trials aimed at the practical use of technologies for a 5G communication standard.

5G is a new mobile communication standard representing an advancement in the current 3.9G/4G (LTE/LTE-Advanced) standards currently adopted around the world. 5G is the subject of international research efforts seeking to achieve communications speeds of 10 Gbps or greater, enabling higher-definition video transmission and a range of additional benefits.

5G is also expected to address issues such as increased terminal penetration and the sharp rise in traffic by offering more than 1000 times the capacity of LTE.

In 2020 and beyond, when the high speed and high capacity of 5G is expected to be implemented, mobile communication-based ICT is forecast to be applied throughout a diverse range of services. In this climate, 5G technologies are expected to be used in a wide range of fields, from public safety and M2M communications to classrooms and in medical practice.

As part of the trials, NEC and NTT Docomo aim to verify enhanced time-domain beam-forming technologies with a very large number of antennas for small cells.

These technologies are expected to improve multi-user MIMO technology that can cover multiple users simultaneously while reducing interference and enabling 5G advancements that include accelerated communication speeds, improved communication quality and greater capacity.