CCS 26GHz mmWave Metnet system delivers 5G wireless backhaul for 5GUK testbed

The University of Bristol is leveraging Cambridge Communication Systems' (CCS') Metnet to deploy 5G capability in its Phase I testbed; a solution demonstrated at the world’s first public 5G showcase in Bristol.

Cambridge Communication Systems (CCS) Limited is delighted to formally announce its role as a key partner in the 5GUK testbed and trials project with University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab.

CCS's 26GHz mmWave Metnet backhaul solution is being deployed to deliver 5G backhaul, with a roadmap towards 5G NR as part of this Phase I testbed. The solution was recently demonstrated at the official launch of the Bristol 5GUK testbed and the world’s first public 5G showcase – the Layered Realities Weekend Showcase at Millennium Square in Bristol (https://www.watershed.co.uk/5g).

Leveraging CCS Metnet, University of Bristol is deploying 5G capability in the extensive Smart City and Smart Campus testbeds in the city, targeting full 5G and fibre infrastructure convergence. The 5GUK Hub is the world’s first national 5G trial, linking three leading 5G research institutions.  The UK Government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) is investing in a world-class 5G technology test network that will aim to put the UK at the forefront of the next wave of mobile technology – potentially adding up to £173 billion to the UK economy by 2030.

CCS Metnet 60GHz mmWave technology is also providing superfast wireless backhaul for the 5G Smart Tourism testbed to be delivered in Bath and Bristol, following the UK government’s announcement of a £5M competition award to a successful consortium bid.  The highly-skilled 5G Smart Tourism consortium is led by the West of England Combined Authority and includes 5G network and service providers CCS, BT, Zeetta, InterDigital, and Bristol is Open, with content and technology developments provided by the BBC and Aardman with support from the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab.

Metnet from CCS is the world’s only self-organising 5G mmWave mesh backhaul.  Delivering high capacity, ultra-low latency and ultra-fast deployment, Metnet is optimised for performance edge with multi-gigabit capacity, and is currently powering networks to mmWave 5G performance in major live deployments across the world.  Metnet offers its unique SON multipoint solution in the 24/26/28GHz area based licensed bands, plus its recently launched Metnet 12Gbps 60GHz 3D SON™ mmWave access and backhaul system in the unlicensed 60GHz band, using Metnet SON for frequency agility and interference management.

Commenting on CCS’s involvement in the Phase I University of Bristol testbed, CCS CEO Steve Greaves said: “We are really proud to be playing a pivotal role in the 5GUK project, and to be working with University of Bristol Smart Internet Lab to pioneer a 5G network that will put the UK at the forefront of next-generation wireless technology.  It’s been very exciting to see the public response to this innovation during the recent Layered Realities showcase weekend, which officially launched the Bristol testbed and marks a key phase in Bristol’s transformation to a 5G smart city.”

About University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab

The Smart Internet Lab is an interdisciplinary activity that uniquely brings together more than 200 experts across the boundaries of communications and digital living research. Our research aims at addressing a key limitation with the current internet, its inability to scale enough to support the demand, and rapid changes in the way we consume internet services.

We provide a holistic approach to hardware and software co-design used to solve critical problems in the global Internet evolution. This is due to the fact that we are one of very few universities that have expertise, and combined thinking, across optics, networks and wireless technologies, enabling us to bring together end-to-end, wired-wireless network design and optimisation.

As a hub for internet research, we challenge the complexity of tomorrow’s world by fusing research expertise and innovation in a range of areas such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, Internet of Things (IoT) and eHealth.

The Smart Internet Lab involves academics and researchers from the Communication Systems & Networks (CSN) Research Group, the High Performance Networks (HPN) Research Group, the Photonics Research Group, as well as, experts from other fields at the University of Bristol and its Research Institutes, working together to address grand societal and industrial challenges.



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