BEIJING, Jan 19 — Taking another step towards the imminent rollout of 5G, Chinese operator China Unicom and cell phone manufacturer ZTE have announced that they have made the world’s first call, and also tested web browsing, and video streaming using the new communications standard.
The demonstration was conducted in Shenzhen, one of China Unicom’s 5G pilot cities, with network equipment provided by the operator and a prototype smartphone made by ZTE.
Along with voice calls conducted via the Chinese multipurpose WeChat application, the test also focused on a host of functionalities including video playback and online browsing.
As the rollout of 5G approaches, China is determined to lead the field both in terms of the quality of its networks and its compatible handsets.
Chinese operators are expected to launch 5G subscription offers in the first months of 2019, an objective which will likely be encouraged by this latest news.
Consumers in France, however, will probably have to wait until 2020 for initial subscription offers. As regards smartphones, along with ZTE, OnePlus and Xiaomi have also promised to launch compatible handsets early this year.
5G data transfers, which will be up to 100 times faster than those available with current 4G technology, are expected to pave the way for innovations like ultra-high definition streaming and the widespread adoption of Internet of things devices and self-driving cars. — AFP-Relaxnews
