Deutsche Telekom recently successfully tested 5G independent networking

Deutsche Telekom (DT) said it has completed its first video call using 5G standalone mode.

The German operator built its first 5G SA base station in the town of Garching near Munich. The company said it made calls to nearby Bamberg and Bonn using the new 5G SA network.

Deutsche Telekom tests 5G independent networking (Image source: DT)

Few details were provided other than the fact that low latency was achieved and that Garching had a response time of 13 milliseconds.

DT first announced the testing of its 5G standalone network in February. At the time, Deutsche Telekom's head of technology, Walter Goldenits, said the Garching test represented the first step towards 5G standalone networking, although he also noted that the deployment "will then also depend on the needs of our customers. The market will play a joint role in further developments."

Goldenits said two-thirds of people in Germany are now covered by the operator’s 5G NSA network, which is tightly coupled to existing 4G infrastructure. No doubt DT is also watching with interest the progress made by T-Mobile US with its 5G standalone network: the US operator switched on standalone 5G technology last August via its nationwide 5G network with vendors Cisco and Nokia.