Vodafone Italia has made the first 5G data connection in Italy, within the framework of tests promoted by the Ministry of Economic Development.

The telecommunications operator used the 3.7-3.8 GHz frequency band for the live 5G trials in the metropolitan region of Milan.

The 5G data connection was conducted using a localised antenna at the Vodafone Village in Milan, with equipment provided by Huawei.

5G networking prototypes were used for the test, conforming to the current state of the 3GPP standard, including Massive MIMO technology, which increases both capability and coverage.

During the test, the download speeds exceeded 2.7 Gbps, with a latency of just over a millisecond.

Vodafone Italia CEO Aldo Bisio told daily Corriere della Sera that the operator is investing more than €90 million in the project. The plan is to cover 80 per cent of Milan and its metropolitan area by 2018. Once the coverage is completed in 2019, Bisio claims that Milan will be the city with the largest 5G coverage in Europe.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Economic Development announced plans to launch 5G trials in the 700 MHz band in five cities (Milan, Bari, Matera, Prato and L’Aquila).

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