Telecomprovider T-Mobile has established the first 5G connection in the Netherlands, with the Oppo Reno 5G. This smartphone was announced in April 2019 and is similar to the Reno 10x Zoom in terms of specifications. One month after the introduction the device was launched in Switzerland in collaboration with provider Swisscom. It was the first available 5G smartphone in Europe.
In March 2019, T-Mobile announced an exclusive partnership to market Oppo smartphones in the Netherlands. At that time, the ambition was already expressed to also become each other’s partners in the field of 5G. T-Mobile wants to become the first Dutch provider with a nationwide 5G network.
The T-Mobile 5G Field Lab has conducted tests at the head office in The Hague, the countries policical centrum. There, the company successfully established a 5G connection with the Oppo Reno 5G. Incredible test download speeds of up to 850 Mbps and an upload speed of more than 50 Mbps were achieved.
In comparison, the maximum speed attained for far using the 4G network is around 400 Mbps, which was achieved by bundling a number of 4G signals together. The regular 4G network achieves download speeds of up to 85 Mpbs and upload speeds of 32 Mpbs, as the speed test video below shows.
T-Mobile will be the first provider in the Netherlands to roll out 5G in 2020. The Haque will be the first Dutch city to make the switch to 5G.
Harrison Chen, CEO OPPO Netherlands: We are grateful to take this important step forward with T-Mobile, and we are proud of the successful result of the first 5G test in the Netherlands. The OPPO Reno 5G has been developed to bring connectivity to a new level, and we look forward to shape developments in the 5G age in the Netherlands, together with our partners.
At the moment, it is only possible to test 5G applications at a select number of 5G research locations. The tests give a hint of what may be possible after the national roll-out of 5G in 2020. Early next year, the first 700 MHz frequency will be auctioned for 5G, followed by the continued expansion of 5G network capacity, with the planned auction of the 3,500 MHz frequency in 2022/2023.
Kim Larsen, CTIO T-Mobile Netherlands: We’re proud to have been the first to achieve a 5G connection on a live network using an Oppo smartphone. T-Mobile is always looking for the newest, fastest, and most innovative smartphones for its customers. Oppo is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, and it is among the pioneers in the field of 5G. By experimenting with a variety of 5G functionalities in our 5G Field Lab, consumers can get a taste of the possibilities that 5G will offer in the future.
Earlier this month, research agency Canalys published an in-depth research report stating that from 2023, 5G smartphones will be sold more frequently than 4G smartphones on a worldwide scale. China and America are among the first countries to make use of the 5G network, partly because these governments have invested heavily in the 5G infrastructure.