Vodafone NZ is currently upgrading its existing 4G LTE cell sites with 5G aerials and radio network access equipment.
Nokia is VFNZ's technology partner, with a rigger from Downers holding one of the 5G active aerials with beamforming capable of locking onto individual devices and tracking them for better spectral efficiency.
The 5G service was announced August, and will initially cover Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Vodafone won't charge a premium for 5G but users will need to upgrade to compatible devices.
The 5G service operates in the 3.5 Giga Hertz range, and in non-standalone (NSA) mode, using the 4G LTE service as a control layer.
Nokia's weatherproof aerial and RAN equipment has a life span of at least ten years.
The riggers from Downers have had high heights training and are using security harnesses for work on the scaffolded cell site which is offline during the upgrade.
Work on the cell site cannot take place if it rains or the winds are stronger than 12 metres per second.
This being the first generation of 5G equipment, Nokia uses field programmable gateway array (FPGA) chips to adjust for environmental factors. Custom silicon will arrive next year.
5G RF systems next to the larger 4G gear, in a fan-cooled cabinet.
Work on the cell site involves shifting the 4G aerials to make space for 5G ones, upgrading the software and adding more backhaul to handle the increased data transmission demand.
Currently, the 4G site can handle up to 3,000 devices attached to it, and volumes of 1,000 gigabytes per second. Vodafone said 5G should increase those numbers by a factor of three to four.
Vodafone NZ is currently upgrading its existing 4G LTE cell sites with 5G aerials and radio network access equipment.