In a first, Namma Metro tests 5G network at MG Road station

Namma Metro has become the first such facility in India to test 5G network with officials on Friday stating that a project at MG Road metro station has yielded promising results.

The initiative, which has been taken up under a pilot project by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), selected MG Road metro station for the trials.

In a release, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said the 5G network installed at the station covered up to 200-metre radius.

“Preliminary bandwidth trial has given 1.45 Gbps download speed and 65 Mbps upload speed, making it 50 times faster than 4G,” it said.

The BMRCL said the 5G system consisting of - outdoor small cells and distributed antenna system - was installed by Reliance Jio from July 5 and the testing was carried out on July 21.

Officials, however, said though they have plans to rent metro premises for hosting 5G infrastructure, it was too early to comment on the matter.

“The 5G auctions have not yet taken place. Depending on the auction and the anticipated demand, we can prepare estimates for renting or leasing the metro premises,” a BMRCL official said.