SoftBank Corp., Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies Trial 5G and 5G Advanced Capabilities Including L4S on 5G SA Commercial Network

Verifying XR contents streaming on smart glasses

The results showed an approximately 90% reduction in wireless link latency compared to scenarios that did not utilize 5G and 5G Advanced technologies such as L4S, successfully achieving continuous low-latency and stable communications.

Overview of the field trial

The three companies carried out low-latency communications field trials by integrating several 5G and 5G Advanced technologies – such as L4S, Configured Uplink Grant and Rate-Controlled Scheduling as standardized by 3GPP – in a commercial 5G SA network in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

As a use case, the companies conducted XR content streaming, which requires high real-time performance, using smart glasses. Specifically, the smart glasses were connected to a smartphone via Wi-Fi, and the smartphone was connected to the commercial mobile network through designated 5G base stations. The smart glasses and smartphone exchanged data with application servers built on the Internet.

In applications such as XR, even minor communication delays can impact the quality of experience, which is why this was adopted as a use case for verifying low-latency communications.

Results from the field trials confirmed that, compared to scenarios not utilizing 5G and 5G Advanced technologies such as L4S, latency in the wireless segment was reduced by approximately 90%, successfully achieving continuous low-latency and stable communications. Additionally, by utilizing network slicing, the application scope of 5G/5G Advanced technologies was limited to the devices used in this field trial, enabling the establishment of communications optimized for XR content streaming that requires low latency.

Main 5G and 5G Advanced technologies used in the field trial:

L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, and Scalable Throughput)

• A technology to reduce communication latency
• Utilizes Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) bits to notify signs of network congestion and control transmission rates in real time
• Adjusts communication conditions before congestion becomes severe to prevent packet congestion to ensure stable low-latency communication.

Configured Uplink Grant

• Simplifies transmission procedures from mobile terminals to base stations
• Enables mobile terminals to start sending data immediately according to pre-set schedules and conditions
• Suppresses uplink communication delays in applications that require real-time performance, such as XR

Rate-Controlled Scheduling

• Base stations dynamically control radio resources to maintain configured throughput
• Stabilizes video display and operation response in XR applications

Network slicing

• A technology that virtually partitions the network into slices to provide communication quality optimized for each service.
• This enables simultaneous and stable support for a wide range of needs - from control applications that require low latency and high reliability to video services that need large-capacity communications.

Roles of each company

SoftBank: Selection of the sites for this field trial and studied the evaluation items and evaluation methods in the trial. Investigation of the current communication situation of 5G base stations in Tokyo.

Ericsson: Provided a range of 5G and 5G Advanced technologies including L4S, conducted pre-test verification, and configured features at the field trial target sites.

Qualcomm Technologies: The provision of smart glasses based on the Snapdragon® AR2 Gen 1 platform, a smartphone powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform incorporating the latest Qualcomm® 5G Modem-RF Platform, as well as the AR application used in this proof-of-concept trial.

Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO of SoftBank Corp. says:

”This field trial is proof that SoftBank's 5G SA network can unlock the full potential of 5G/5G Advanced technologies, including network slicing and low-latency technologies. Based on this achievement, we will continue to strengthen our network to provide customers with a cutting-edge communication experience.”

Jawad Mansour, President and Representative Director, Ericsson Japan, says:

"This field trial is an important initiative that demonstrates ultra-low-latency, high-reliability communication required for next‑generation XR experiences. XR has the potential to transform how work is done across many fields — industry, social infrastructure, entertainment, and more. Ericsson will continue to contribute to creating new digital experiences and addressing social challenges through the evolution of our customer’s networks."

Hemanth Sampath, VP Engineering, at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. representative, says:

“We are delighted to collaborate with Ericsson and SoftBank in this field trial. This initiative highlights the potential of combining XR and 5G technologies and showcases the value of distributed spatial computing and low-latency on-device capabilities enabled by the Snapdragon XR platforms . By leveraging distributed spatial computing functionalities, along with low-latency features, Qualcomm Technologies aims to further expand the possibilities of AR and smart glasses.”

SoftBank will continue to advance verification towards the commercial deployment of 5G/5G Advanced technologies based on the knowledge gained through this field trial. In the future, by utilizing these technologies, we aim to create new user experiences through improving the convenience of communication services during large-scale events such as sports events, and providing new services linked to network slicing.

• SoftBank and the SoftBank name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of SoftBank Group Corp. in Japan and other countries.
• Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
• Other company names and product and service names mentioned in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.