Malaysian operator Maxis recently conducted a trial of the 6 GHz spectrum in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia (UM). The purpose of the trial was to enhance network traffic and explore potential use cases such as cloud computing, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
During the trial, Maxis achieved peak speeds of 1.28 Gbps using an 80 MHz bandwidth. This was made possible by utilizing a prototype 6 GHz Active Antenna Unit and a prototype mobile device. The trial also demonstrated good indoor penetration, with speeds exceeding 300 Mbps at locations 400 meters away from cell sites. Additionally, it showed promise for improving mobile signal propagation through the use of advanced antennas.
Based on the findings, Maxis concluded that tapping into the 6 GHz spectrum and adopting new antenna technology will play a significant role in the commercialization of 5G-advanced networks. Maxis highlighted that Malaysia is one of the highest consumers of data in Southeast Asia and globally.
On average, Maxis customers use 30GB of data per month, driven by activities such as video streaming, social media, and instant messaging. This amounts to a total volume of 180,000TB.
Maxis Acting Chief Technology Strategy Officer, Tan Cheng Peng, emphasized the collaborative nature of the trial, stating that it exemplifies the cooperation between industry and academia to advance technology and spectrum knowledge.
He also noted that the trial will benefit UM students working on research projects related to next-generation network technologies.
