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The trial was undertaken at the AZ centre in Bangkok
Chinese firm ZTE has partnered with Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s leading mobile operator, to launch the world’s first dynamic RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface) trial in a mmWave network.
RIS is a multi-antenna technology that uses electromagnetic metamaterials to extend base station coverage by intelligently reflecting or transmitting wireless signals. This results in improved coverage with both low costs and low carbon emissions.
By incorporating dynamic functionality, ZTE’s dynamic RIS technology achieves beam sweeping and user tracking.
In the trial, ZTE used the RIS product in the AIS mmWave network with 400MHz of bandwidth.
According to ZTE, users in the trial were able to maintain a consistent downlink rate of over 1.6Gbps, and an uplink peak rate of over 260Mbps, in an office room larger than 400 square metres.
mmWave frequencies can provide 5G networks with high speeds and capacities, but they also present challenges, such as a shorter range and poorer signal propagation. Dynamic RIS technology could be a potential solution to these issues, allowing mmWave to be considerable expanded without the need for as many additional base stations.
“Our collaboration with ZTE has provided us with the opportunity to explore the application of RIS technology in mmWave communications, leading to groundbreaking achievements. We believe that this technology will accelerate the arrival of the 5G-A era and deliver unprecedented communication experiences to users,” said Wasit Wattanasap, Head of Nationwide Operations and Support at AIS.
ZTE claims that the trial represents an important milestone in the mmWave communication field, which has the potential to revolutionise the global communications industry for the future of areas such as smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT).
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