By Godson Umejiego, Senior Correspondent, USA

The deployment of 5G SA with 5G NR Dual Connectivity is a significant milestone in the evolution of 5G, unlocking new capabilities for consumers and enterprises alike thanks to the combination of both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands.

On August 24 NTT DOCOMO, Inc. (DOCOMO) launched the world’s first commercial 5G SA network allowing smartphones to simultaneously utilize both mid-band (sub-6 GHz) and mmWave frequencies – also known as 5G NR Dual Connectivity (NR-DC). Users with the Sharp AQUOS R7, Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, or Sony’s Xperia 1 IV, all powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform which features the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, are already seeing downloads of up to 4.9 Gbps and uploads of up to 1.1 Gbps, including in crowded areas. 

Thanks to the speeds, reliability, and power of 5G NR-DC, customers with these four devices powered by Snapdragon can access unparalleled service in congested areas, notably major terminal stations, event venues, including stadiums, and commercial facilities.

Moving forward, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. will continue to develop new technologies and 5G SA milestones for enterprise and IoT settings and use cases, including network slicing technology and faster speeds through NR-DC

“We extend an enormous congratulations to DOCOMO for its launch of the world’s first 5G SA service utilizing 5G mmWave. Thanks to the high capacity of 5G mmWave and wide coverage of 5G mid-band, DOCOMO can bring next generation connectivity to users in congested locations,” said  Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cellular Modems and Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, Durga Malladi. “This accomplishment is a testament to the successes of the longstanding collaboration between the two companies. We are honored to power the premium-tier Android devices that will bring mobile users in Japan the best high-speed, high-capacity communication capabilities possible with 5G mmWave.”

“We are pleased to have provided the high-speed 5G standalone service with NR-DC in successful collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, NTT DOCOMO, Naoki Tani. “This technology allows our customers to enjoy high-speed mobile broadband, both on uplink and downlink, achieving above 1Gbps. Our two companies continue our collaborations to enhance 5G technologies, and DOCOMO will continue to bring the cutting-edge technologies to our customers to make mobile environments more comfortable.”