Telecommunication Research Institute report shows that 5G indoor coverage is only 60%

In the third and fourth quarters of 2021, China Telecom Research Institute selected 9 major scenarios in 38 cities to conduct large-sample tests on 5G network coverage, 5G users' VoLTE voice and Internet use, and mainstream Internet applications, with a total sampling volume of more than 150 million.

The report is based on the above sampling data and weighted according to the user share of the three major basic operators. It evaluates the current perceived quality of 5G network coverage and the comprehensive network perception of 5G users' VoLTE voice services and Internet services.

The report said that the current 5G user perceived quality comprehensive score is 89.3, of which 5G network coverage score is 80.4, basic services (including VoLTE voice and web page opening) score is 97.2, and Internet applications (WeChat, Douyin video and live broadcast, Tencent video, HD video, games, etc.) score is 93.2. From the perspective of 5G network coverage, the outdoor 5G coverage rate of main roads and high-frequency user use scenarios is about 90%, but the indoor coverage rate is only about 60%, and the 5G coverage rate of closed areas such as underground parking lots, elevators, and stairs is less than 50%; the 5G coverage rate of the ring road, airport highway, and subway lines is about 50%, and the average 5G coverage level along the high-speed rail is only about 10%. In addition to high-speed rail, the voice service connection rate of various scenarios in various cities is greater than 99%, the call drop rate is less than 0.5%, and the Internet application experience is excellent; the connection rate of high-speed rail scenarios is about 98.2%, the call drop rate is about 1.3%, and the call quality is less than 80%. The Internet experience needs to be improved, and the web page opening delay is less than 80%. The average 5G uplink rate in each scenario was 60.23Mbps, and the average downlink rate was 442.84Mbps, both higher than the 4G rate.

The report concluded that the current 5G network has met the basic needs of users for network experience, but there is still a gap from the generational upgrade of 5G experience. According to the test results, several suggestions for 5G network construction and optimization were put forward: First, in the core area of ​​the city, 5G network construction should be developed in depth, and the indoor and outdoor 5G network deep coverage and indoor optimization of high-frequency user scenarios should be strengthened. Second, operators can carry out independent research and development and ecological cooperation at the same time to accelerate the scale development of 5G innovative products and applications, and make UHD/AR/VR and other content operation products and services an accelerator for 5G value operation and perception improvement. Third, users' perception of 5G network usage is directly reflected in the network experience of head Internet applications. The location of local sinking servers of Internet applications, especially head applications, is also extremely important. Operators can strengthen cooperation and collaboration with Internet application service providers to improve the end-to-end network experience of 5G users.