At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016, Verizon announced that it has begun testing 5G technology near its headquarters in New York. The company is planning to implement 5G technology by 2017.

The increasing demand for faster wireless connectivity has inspired major tech giants, including OEMs and telecommunications companies, to pave the way for adopting the technology for its next generation of networks.

“With 5G, we will again drive innovation across the technology landscape to bring new solutions to market for our customers,” Technology Strategy & Planning SVP Ed Chan said.

As part of its own 5G Technology Forum field tests, Verizon has collaborated with Ericsson, Intel, Nokia, Samsung Electronics America, Inc., and Qualcomm.

“Our field technical trials are proving that 5G is here and ready to be commercialised, and we’ve constructed several test beds that represent real-world environments,” Chan noted.

5G Technology Forum is working towards attaining high technical standards for 5G technology. Verizon is testing the characteristics of 5G technology in real world scenarios.

Testing was performed both in residential and commercial buildings. The company will carry on 5G technology testing over the next couple of months, confirmed Verizon.

Last December, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam mentioned that the company launch 5G wireless service in the US by 2017. 5G technology will enable data output speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).

Samsung is also carrying out its own 5G demonstrations at the MWC 2016. The Korean giant aims to demonstrate the capability of the technology by transmitting eight Ultra High-Definition 4K videos over the air, said Samsung.

In another effort towards comprehending 5G technology, Samsung also conducted the world’s first mobile handover test using the mmWave radio system.

In related news, Ericsson is presenting wide range of demonstrations and seminars on 5G Technology at the MWC 2016.

Credit – YouTube Videos- Verizon Wireless

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