Sri Lankan telco SLT-Mobitel announced on Tuesday it has successfully conducted what it claims is the first trial of 5G-Advanced in the country, even as the mobile sector awaits news of a possible 5G spectrum auction in the near future.
The trial, which was held on January 12 at Mobitel’s headquarters in Colombo, utilized the 3.5-GHz band and radio equipment from ZTE featuring 3CC carrier aggregation, massive MIMO and 1024QAM modulation.
A Xiaomi 14 Ultra handset was used for the terminal. Mobitel said downlink speeds for the 5G-A trial topped 5 Gbps.
Mobitel chief operating officer Sudharshana Geeganage said the enhancements offered by 5G-A would pave the way for new use cases various industries, from healthcare and transportation to entertainment and smart cities.
“We are excited to explore the opportunities these new technologies bring for industries and individuals alike, which will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the nation’s digitization initiatives and enhance our contribution toward a greater Sri Lanka,” he said in a statement.
5G currently remains in the trial phase in Sri Lanka, with both Mobitel and Dialog Axiata offering pre-commercial 5G services. Mobitel is currently running 5G trials in Colombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Galle, and Jaffna.
Last month, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) issued a consultation notice for auctioning the 3.5-GHz and 27-GHz bands for 5G services, with licences good for ten years.
The notice timetable set December 19 as the deadline for comments, and suggested the auction could take place before the end of this month. However, to date, no announcement has been made on the consultation progress.
The TRCSL has been promising to work out an allocation scheme for 5G spectrum since at least 2021.
