Vi & Nokia Collaborate On 5G Trial In Rural Areas, Achieve Over 100Mbps Download Speeds

Last Updated on November 10, 2021 by Asif Iqbal Shaik

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has collaborated with Nokia Networks to successfully conduct a 5G trial in the rural areas of Gandhinagar using the 3.5GHz spectrum band allocated by the Government of India. The companies tested 5G connectivity across an area covering 17.1km while delivering speeds of more than 100Mbps. This news comes right after the telco achieved speeds of 3.7Gbps during its 5G network trial in Pune, Maharashtra in September 2021. During their previous test runs Vi had managed to achieve download speeds of up to 1.5Gbps in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar.

Talking about the recent 5G trials in Gujrat, Vi used Nokia’s AirScale radio portfolio and Microwave E-band solution for the trial which supports enterprises, both large and small and medium businesses, with reliable connectivity. Nokia’s high gain FWA CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) enables operators to extend ultra-high-speed and low-latency 5G connectivity in remote and rural areas.

In a piece of related news, Vodafone Idea (Vi) partnered with Ericsson last week to trial 5G use cases in the healthcare sector in remote parts of the country. “Based on the high data speed, low latency, and reliability of 5G, a doctor located in an urban center can actually carry out an ultrasound scan on a patient who is in a remote rural location“, said Ericsson in a statement.

Also Read: What Is 5G? Do You Really Need A 5G Smartphone In India Right Now?

Commenting on the 5G Trial, Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said:

Accelerated digitalisation over the last two years has led to growing dependency on high-speed broadband and an urgency to connect the unconnected. Vi GIGAnet, India’s fastest network, is enabling users in urban and rural areas, and enterprises, to stay ahead in this digital era. With our 5G ready network and our partner Nokia’s, field-proven solution, we are now working on providing solutions and use cases based on high-speed 5G coverage in rural areas.

Sanjay Malik, Senior Vice President and Head of India Market, Nokia, said:

Our Fixed Wireless Access 5G solution is enabling service providers, like Vodafone Idea, to extend 5G coverage to remote areas, plug coverage gaps and increase service levels in rural areas. Vodafone Idea is our long-standing partner and we are pleased to support them in successfully testing 5G for delivering high-speed connectivity in rural areas.