5G wireless data transmission in ultra-high-mobility environment

The trials also achieved what are believed to be the world's first successful 1.1Gbps ultra-high-speed data transmission via downlink to a 5G mobile station moving at 293km/h and a fast handover during communication between 5G base stations and a 5G mobile station moving at 290km/h.

In addition, the trial succeeded in a wireless live relay of 4K high-frame-rate video via uplink from a 5G mobile station moving at 200km/h.

The trials, conducted at the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI), created an ultra-high-mobility test environment using a car traveling at speeds similar to those of high-speed railways.

Radio waves in the 28GHz high-frequency band propagate very straight and make long-range transmission difficult due to large propagation loss. 

To overcome these challenges, the 5G base station and 5G mobile station were both equipped for beamforming, which concentrated radio power in a specific direction, and beam tracking, which switched the direction of the beams to follow the 5G mobile station as it moved at high speed.

By optimising these functions, DOCOMO succeeded in establishing wireless communications in the ultra-high-mobility test environment.

Furthermore, DOCOMO successfully confirmed 5G wireless communication across a wide area by achieving a fast handover to maintain connection with a mobile station while switching between base stations.

DOCOMO also succeeded in a wireless live transmission of 4K high-definition, 120-frames-per-second high-frame-rate video from a car moving at very high speed utilising NTT's real-time 4K high-frame-rate HEVC codec.

Other companies involved in the trials included DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program participants, Sony Business Solutions Corporation, and DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING manager Dandelion Limited.

Going forward, DOCOMO will continue conducting 5G research with world-leading vendors and partners to expand 5G capabilities in a wide range of operating environments.