Commercialisation of Europe’s first 5G standalone (SA) network

 Leading global smart device brand OPPO has detailed the successful collaboration between OPPO, Vodafone, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Ericsson commercialising Europe’s first low-latency, high-speed 5G SA Network in Germany. The network will be accessible on the OPPO Find X3 Pro, the latest device in OPPO’s premium product series.

Henry Duan, Vice President and President of Smartphones, OPPO,  said: “OPPO is proud to be the only mobile device provider to participate in the commercialisation of Europe’s first 5G SA network, fulfilling our commitment as a company to bring cutting-edge technology to our customers. As a pioneer in 5G, OPPO will continue to work with industry leaders to increase access to 5G services and create more unique experiences for our users worldwide.”

To let customers enjoy the enhanced network, OPPO aims to provide a software update to activate SA support on the OPPO Find X3 Pro in the coming weeks, ideally within April.

Enjoy low-latency, high-speed connectivity with 5G SA

The commercialisation of the first 5G SA commercial network in Europe marks a milestone in the development of 5G in the region. Standalone 5G is a more complete form of 5G network and is the architecture to which all 5G networks will eventually conform. The theoretical latency of 5G SA is as low as 1ms – marking a vast improvement over that of current non-standalone (NSA) 5G at around 20ms.

The enhanced network is also set to unleash the full power of 5G and foster a wide range of innovative 5G applications in the near future. 5G SA will support network slicing, which will allow operators to provide portions of their networks for specific use cases, enabling carriers to provide diversified and services for different needs.

Düsseldorf, Münster, and Leipzig will be the first European cities to receive 5G SA coverage, meaning residents or visitors to these cities owning an OPPO Find X3 Pro will be able to enjoy the benefits of the network after receiving OPPO’s software updates.

OPPO accelerates 5G commercialisation through close partnerships

As the only smartphone manufacturer involved in the project, OPPO has worked closely with Vodafone Germany, Qualcomm Technologies, and Ericsson to test the 5G SA network in numerous sites in the three German cities since November 2020.

During the process, Ericsson provided products and solutions from its Ericsson Radio System portfolio and its cloud native 5G Core for standalone networks to help Vodafone build 5G SA networks in Germany. The network was then tested with OPPO Find X3 Pro smartphones powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G mobile platform.

OPPO is the first smartphone manufacturer to have utilised the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G mobile platform on a commercial 5G SA network in Europe. Leveraging its expertise in the field, OPPO was heavily involved in the development and testing process with Qualcomm Technologies.

"Our 3.5GHz range 5G network is now completely independent of LTE technology. At initial available locations, it is possible to achieve latency times of 10 to 15 milliseconds – that's as fast as the human nervous system. These ultra-low latency times are now arriving step-by-step to consumers across Germany as we put more and more 5G facilities into operation. The first smartphones to support the technology are coming, starting with the Find X3 Pro from OPPO. Together, we are making 5G Standalone a reality for our customers," explains Vodafone Germany's CTO Gerhard Mack.

"5G standalone brings huge advantages to both industry and consumers. With faster network response times, users can now take advantage of real-time mobile communication. After launching 5G together in Germany, this is the next step in our journey with Vodafone. Combining our technology leadership and drive for innovation with our ecosystem partners OPPO and Qualcomm Technologies, we are delivering next level of 5G, ready for Germany to build their digital future,” said  Arun Bansal, President of Europe and Latin America, at Ericsson.

“Qualcomm Technologies is delighted to join OPPO, Vodafone and Ericsson in this pioneering work to bring a better 5G network to European customers,” said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm Europe/MEA, Qualcomm Europe, Inc.  “This is a significant milestone not only for Germany but for Europe. 5G standalone is a key step in the 5G evolution and will bring new benefits to consumers and businesses alike and we are proud to have worked with OPPO,Vodafone and Ericsson to make this happen on a commercial 5G device and network. 5G standalone brings fast speeds, greater efficiency, new levels of performance and scalability to 5G."

From 5G NSA to 5G SA: OPPO’s leading innovations in Europe

Back in 2019, OPPO was the first company to launch a 5G NSA commercial smartphone in Europe with the OPPO Reno 5G. This time around with Vodafone, OPPO is ready to lead the industry forward once again, enabling European users to benefit from superior 5G connectivity.

Europe is a key market in OPPO’s global business. Having entered the Western European market three years ago, the company has already achieved considerable market growth and has taken a firm foothold in some national markets. Last year, OPPO officially established its Western European headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, at the same time adding new names to its list of markets, such as Italy, Spain, Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Poland, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia, Germany, Ireland, Romania, Portugal ,and Belgium.

Confident in the prospects of 5G in an age of intelligent connectivity, OPPO has long been working to accelerate the commercialisation of 5G across Europe through continued innovation in technology, products ,and services, as well as close collaborations with global partners, including technology providers, telecom operators, research institutions and more. Last year, OPPO worked with Vodafone UK to showcase the first live standalone network in the UK.

Looking forward, OPPO is set to make further investments in the fast-growing European market, contribute more technological innovation to the industry, and bring better products and services to its customers.