Nokia, Alphabet, and Qualcomm form alliance

NEW DELHI: Nokia, Alphabet's Access Group and Qualcomm Technologies have joined forces to demonstrate the first live demo of a private LTE network over CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) shared spectrum at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The companies built a virtual reality zone inside stock car race cars operating at the Richard Petty Driving Experience, with 360° video streaming to provide an "in car" experience in real time.

"The demonstration, which achieved speeds in excess of 180 mph, showed not only how the combination of a new CBRS band and innovative technologies can offer new audience experiences, but also how shared spectrum can be used by venues and enterprises to deploy their own private LTE network to offer new services,"  a statement said.

"Deployment of a private LTE network is becoming a reality due to the availability of the CBRS spectrum (without the auction costs) and advances in network technology that are providing the performance benefits of LTE with an easy deployment model," it added.

The live demonstration successfully highlighted some of the key performance benefits of using LTE, including consistent high data rates to stream 360° video for immersive experiences, superior mobility at extreme race car speeds, exceptional outdoor coverage, and capacity that can be customized to meet the needs of the particular service. In this case, the 360° video streaming from within the high-speed vehicles. The demonstrations also showcased that, thanks to the availability of CBRS shared spectrum, an enterprise, campus, venue or other group can deploy their own private LTE network.

The shared spectrum used in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway demo is the new CBRS spectrum released in the U.S. by the Federal Communications Commission. This spectrum allows for broad innovation in wireless business models. Nokia, Alphabet's Access Group and Qualcomm Technologies are founding members of the CBRS Alliance, which is promoting LTE-based solutions in the CBRS spectrum. The three companies are committed to driving technology forward to allow for ubiquitous deployment of LTE networks within the CBRS band.

Chris Stark, head of strategy and business development for North America, Nokia, said: "By bringing together the ingenuity of Nokia, Alphabet's Access Group and Qualcomm Technologies, not only are we showing how the CBRS band can enable new business ideas using LTE, but also how such futuristic applications like this are possible. We want this trial to act as a catalyst for carriers and enterprises to start thinking about leveraging this band for new applications. Beyond the high speeds and amazing views this demo provides, the real opportunity is in the life-changing applications that will benefit from the 3.5GHz U.S. CBRS spectrum and transform users' experience."

Neville Meijers, vice president, business development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and chairman of the CBRS Alliance, said: "Developing technologies that utilize the CBRS band of shared spectrum is a very exciting trend for our industry not only because of the customized customer experiences it can deliver, such as the immersive 360° view demonstrated in this trial, but also the business opportunities it will create for enterprises. We look forward to our work with Alphabet's Access Group and Nokia, and all members of the CBRS Alliance to continue to develop new types of LTE-based networks and unlock their potential."

Preston Marshall, director, Alphabet's Access Group, said: "This is the first demonstration of the capability of shared spectrum to enable otherwise impractical innovations and applications. Co-operation between the U.S. government and industry has made it possible to create a whole new class of wireless systems, fusing the flexibility and accessibility of licensed spectrum with the high performance and effectiveness of carrier grade technologies. The FCC has moved rapidly to establish the CBRS band; the DoD has collaborated with industry to assure non-interference to critical Navy radars, and over 60 companies have jointly developed the standards to implement this protection. Private networks are but one example. We see great potential for private and public shared networks which is why we have committed great effort to developing our Spectrum Access System."