Huawei tested 5.5G (5G-A) in China

On January 26, 2024, the Chinese tech giant Huawei officially shared a press release and confirmed that China Unicom Beijing and Huawei together deployed a pilot large-scale 5.5G (5G-A) network in Beijing to provide continuous coverage in three key areas, including Beijing Financial Street in the city center, the landmark Beijing Long Distance Call Building, and multipurpose Workers’ Stadium.

This first-of-its-kind network is expected to become a benchmark for future 5.5 networks and applications across China thanks to the performance achievements it represents.

During tests, the 5.5G network achieved a downlink peak rate of 10 Gbps, and continuous experience exceeding 5 Gbps, surpassing 5G by 10 times. Trials also highlighted how 5.5G implemented high- and low-band coordination under discontinuous coverage to enable seamless handovers and uninterrupted service.

In early 2024, Beijing’s new 5.5G network underwent comprehensive evaluations during a 5.5G industry event organized by the Beijing Institute of Communications (BIC).