Ericsson says it achieved a peak data rate of more than 1 Gbps for a single user device in a recent 5G Standalone (SA) field trial using Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum.

The trial was done using a multi-operator, neutral-host capable network at Ericsson’s North American headquarters in Plano, Texas. Ericsson described it as the world’s first demonstration of over 1 Gbps 5G connection with CBRS spectrum in an indoor environment.

“We are excited to continue pushing the envelope of what is possible with 5G. Ericsson is committed to continue bringing the best technology to realize the full potential of 5G and CBRS early to the market to further catalyze the use of these advanced technologies,” said Paul Challoner, VP of Network Product Solutions for Ericsson North America, in a statement.

The press release did not say when Ericsson expects to deliver a 5G version of CBRS equipment like this in a commercial deployment.

Ericsson has been selling CBRS hardware that supports the 5G standard for some time, according to Challoner. “Now we are able to bring together the end-to-end ecosystem in CBRS 5G for the first time at these high speeds,” he told Fierce.

“Ericsson’s commercially deployed CBRS radios support 5G and can be software activated to support 5G in the CBRS band today,” he said in response to Fierce’s questions about 5G commercial readiness. “We anticipate broader CBRS NR deployments and activations in 2023.”   

Ericsson also said the network where this trial took place is supported by a 5G core network as part of the 5G Distributed Innovation Network at Ericsson’s facility in north Texas. The network used the Radio 4408 for outdoor CBRS connectivity and the Radio Dot 4459 for indoor CBRS connectivity.

The vendor notes that indoor coverage has been challenging for cellular networks, and this is the first time that indoor, over-the-air coverage through a shared spectrum has reached such a high data rate.

“Consumers and enterprises will benefit from the high-performing 5G CBRS technology that Ericsson is introducing,” said Alan Ewing, OnGo Alliance executive director, in a statement. “Ongoing improvements to 5G technology for the CBRS ecosystem provide users with the highest performance and seamless connectivity, whether deployed standalone or with operator spectrum.”  

The latest addition to the Ericsson Radio Dot portfolio, the Ericsson Radio Dot 4459 is designed to support both CBRS and C-band deployments.

The new CBRS indoor Radio Dot uses advanced radio technologies like 4×4 MIMO and supports 4G/5G mixed-mode operation. It also leverages the entire CBRS band (150 MHz) and supports up to five component carrier aggregation (5CC) on 4G and 5G carriers of up to 100 MHz.

The demonstration has implications for enterprises looking to deploy private 5G networks and wireless service providers that want to leverage CBRS for added capacity where they need it, especially inside buildings and venues.

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