Mobile Milestones: Speed Breakthroughs and Network Tweaks [Mobile Radio]

Remember the days when 1 Gb/s was the gold standard in mobile networks? As the industry is pushing past those boundaries, new speed records are being advertised on a weekly basis. A notable achievement in the sub-6-GHz spectrum has set a new benchmark with an unprecedented 7.5 Gb/s downlink speed. In parallel, extended range tests and the use of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) and new interleaved antenna systems are challenging our current notions of range and speed. On the application front, the potential of the 5G standalone (SA) network slicing is being harnessed, promising a transformative gaming experience, while a recent collaboration has paved the way for an innovative feature in Voice over New Radio (VoNR). Join us in this issue's column as we navigate through these groundbreaking developments.