We are in commercial 5G era! The world’s first commercial 5G networks were launched today in Tampere Finland and Tallinn Estonia.
It was already expected that this year will see the first commercial rollouts of 5G networks. It seem that many telecom companies are aiming to launch 5G service really soon this year or next year. The competition has been on who is the first operator with commercial 5G network.
Finnish telecom operator Elisa says in press release that it has become the first operator in the world to begin commercial use of a 5G network and starts selling 5G subscriptions. The first person to use the 5G network was Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, who made a video call to Kadri Simson, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in Estonia.
Uusiteknologia.fi magazine reports that this call was video call that was made with Huawei’s 5G router and networking devices. Elisa said it would launch a 5G subscription, alongside the network, even though the Communications Ministry is still only preparing to share the first commercial 5G licenses for 3400-3800 MHz frequency band in few months. Now network is operating with testing license. Tekniikkatalous.fi reports that the Elisa network used 3.5 GHz frequency band and is was able to support up to 2.2 Gbit/s data rate using 100 MHz RF bandwidth. You can buy the subscription right away, but at this point you still can not do anything right because Elisa does not sell any 5g devices for the network (they have now only limited number of devices for their own use).
Also other big Finnish telecom operators Telia and DNA have already tested 5G technologies.
Was this really the first commercial 5g networks? Hard to say for sure and depends on criteria what is considered to be be “commercial 5G network”. For example a little over one moth ago Qatar’s Ooredoo says that it has just launched 5G Supernet, “the first commercially available 5G network in the world.” The spectrum band for the Ooredoo first 5G NR network is 3.5 GHz. The 5G NR network offers higher speeds, capacity, and better latency, than existing cellular systems. Also last month Etisalat announced the launch of the first commercial 5G wireless network in the UAE.
Based on my knowledge this Elisa 5G was clearly first commercial 5G launch in Western Europe. Was it is first in the world is up to debating.
What’s next? Finland aims to build commercial 5G networks early 2019. Finland aims to be among the leaders in adopting 5G technology.
Ericsson forecasts over 1 billion 5G subscriptions for enhanced mobile broadband by the end of 2023, accounting for around 12% of all mobile subscriptions. By end of 2023, close to 50% of all mobile subscriptions in North America are forecast to be for 5G. For Western Europe 5G penetration is expected to be at 21%.
Sources:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/06/27/ministeri-soitti-ensimmaisen-5g-videopuhelun/
https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/14/worlds-first-commercial-5g-network-launches-in-qatar/
https://www.nepalitelecom.com/2018/05/first-commercial-5g-network-launches-ooredoo-qatar.html
https://www.itweb.co.za/content/Gb3Bw7WoYZA72k6V
http://www.dailyfinland.fi/national/5519/Finland-aims-to-build-commercial-5G-networks-early-2019
12 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Elisa launched “ghost-5G”
Elisa joined a number of other operators worldwide by launching the “first commercial 5G network in the world” yesterday. The same thing has been announced by many other operators. All of the problem is the same: 5G terminals do not exist.
Elisaa before the “commercial 5G network” has opened subscribers for example the Middle East operators Etisalat, STC and Ooredoo. According to Elisa, world-wide celebration was celebrated by a video call Elisa made with Huawe on the world’s first commercial 5G terminals. Huawei itself has previously announced that its first 5G phone will enter the market in the third quarter of 2019.
According to Elisa’s Managing Director Veli-Matti Mattila, 5G makes it possible to utilize completely new kinds of applications for example in traffic, healthcare, energy efficiency development and leisure. – In the future, for example, all users can watch the same football match as a high quality live broadcast without delays by any terminal device
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8156-elisa-lanseerasi-haamu-5g-n
Tomi Engdahl says:
Micro-operators to Drive 5G Adoption
https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1333437
The latest developments in Finland, both commercially and in research, may provide a pointer to the future for 5G (and even 6G).
On the commercial side, Elisa, a telecom operator with networks in Finland and Estonia, said this week that it launched the world’s first commercial 5G networks — in Tampere in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia — and has started selling 5G subscriptions. The first person to use this 5G network was Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, who made a video call to Kadri Simson, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in Estonia. It used commercially available 5G terminal devices from Huawei to make the call. Elisa said that the first GSM telephone call in the world was also made using its network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/07/06/suomi-valmistautuu-5g-taajuuksien-huutokauppaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Competing commercial 5G network in Finland from Telia opened:
https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/telia-avasi-5g-verkon-helsingin-keskustaan-kuluttaja-ei-viela-tarvitse-lyhytta-latenssia-6739453
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/09/05/telia-tuo-5g-verkon-helsinkiin-kaupallinen-toiminta-2019-alusta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/09/05/telia-tuo-5g-verkon-helsinkiin-kaupallinen-toiminta-2019-alusta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8396-5g-nakyy-pian-katukuvassa
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8392-telian-toimitusjohtaja-5g-datassa-kokeillaan-uusia-hintamalleja
Hari says:
But the first 5G network was deployed in Korea in 2019. How can Finland be on the list?
Hari says:
But the first 5G network was deployed in Korea in 2019. How can Finland be on the list? https://www.telecomkhabar.com/how-to-check-if-your-mobile-phone-support-lte-volte-in-nepal/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Check the words “first commercial”. The first 5G network was started on Korea, but how it started it seems that it could not be considered as a commercial network that really did business with it.
What is the definition “commercial 5G network” is up to debating, and different parties might have different views on that, so expect to see more than one party announcing that they are the first by their own definition.
US dismisses South Korea’s launch of world-first 5G network as ‘stunt’
This article is more than 4 months old
Half a dozen celebrities were the first to experience the service, carriers say
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/04/us-dismisses-south-koreas-launch-of-world-first-5g-network-as-stunt
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