Qualcomm, SoftBank and Ericsson Testing Next-gen 5G Capabilities, Including L4S.
January 23, 2026
SoftBank Group, in collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm, successfully completed a field test of low-latency communication on SoftBank Group's 5G SA commercial network in Tokyo. This test validated several 5G and 5G-A technologies, including low latency, low loss, and scalable throughput (L4S). The test results showed that compared to scenarios without 5G and 5G-A technologies (such as L4S), wireless link latency was reduced by approximately 90%, successfully achieving consistently low latency and stable communication. The three companies conducted field tests of low-latency communication on a 5G SA commercial network in the Tokyo metropolitan area by integrating multiple 5G and 5G-A technologies (such as L4S, configured uplink grants, and rate control scheduling – 3GPP standardized technologies). As an application case, the three companies used smart glasses for streaming XR content, which has extremely high real-time performance requirements. Specifically, the smart glasses were connected to a smartphone via Wi-Fi, and the smartphone then accessed the commercial mobile network through a designated 5G base station. The smart glasses and smartphone interacted with the application server via the internet. In applications such as XR, even slight communication delays can affect the quality of the user experience; therefore, this application scenario was used to verify low-latency communication. The field test results confirmed that compared to scenarios without 5G and 5G Advanced technologies such as L4S, wireless link latency was reduced by approximately 90%, successfully achieving consistently low latency and stable communication. Furthermore, network slicing technology was used to limit the application of 5G/5G Advanced technologies to the equipment used in this test, creating a communication environment optimized for low-latency XR content streaming. The main 5G and 5G Advanced technologies used in this field test were: L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Throughput Data Transmission) • A technology for reducing communication latency • Utilizes Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) bits to provide real-time notification of network congestion and control transmission rates • Adjusts communication conditions before congestion intensifies, preventing packet congestion and ensuring stable low-latency communication. Configuring Uplink Authorization • Simplifies the transmission process from mobile terminals to base stations. • Enables mobile terminals to immediately begin sending data according to pre-set arrangements and conditions. • Suppresses uplink communication latency in applications requiring real-time performance, such as XR technology. Rate Control Scheduling • The base station dynamically controls wireless resources to maintain the configured throughput. • Stabilizes video display and operational response in XR applications. Network Slicing • ...
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