Rohde & Schwarz measured 5G NR and LTE latency in public network
Rohde & Schwarz has released findings from latency measurements conducted in a commercial 5G NSA network, comparing 5G NR and LTE performance in Germany.
Munich, Germany – Rohde & Schwarz has published research analyzing the latency performance of 5G NR and LTE technologies within a commercially deployed public 5G NSA network. The measurements were conducted near the company's Munich site using a Samsung S20 device and a Deutsche Telekom SIM card.
The study aimed to assess whether real-world network performance, particularly concerning latency and data service reliability, aligns with 3GPP specifications. The analysis included measurements of both one-way latency (OWL) and round-trip times (RTT).
The findings indicate superior performance for 5G NR compared to LTE, especially in the uplink direction. In favorable conditions, 5G NR measurements showed less than 7 ms of latency in the downlink for a 100 kbps service. Conversely, in the worst-case scenarios, 5G NR reported approximately 18 ms OWL latency in the uplink for a 15 Mbps service.
Results were obtained using Rohde & Schwarz's QualiPoc Android solution for RTT measurements and a prototype solution for OWL measurements. The methodology allowed for testing various data rates and is technology-agnostic. The research focused on stationary tests to ensure the consistency and comparability of the collected data.