Ringing in the new era of 5G to Sri Lanka, HUTCH recently demonstrated the fastest 5G speed ever achieved by a Sri Lankan telecom operator in its inaugural 5G trial event at HUTCH One Galle Face Premier Experience Center.
HUTCH teamed up with ZTE, a global leader in telecommunications and information technology for this groundbreaking 5G trial which included several demonstrations and use cases of 5G.
The 5G trial was demonstrated in the presence of Chief Guest Oshada Senanayake, Director General Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, Thirukumar Nadarasa, CEO of HUTCH and the HUTCH Management.
The 5G trial consisted of several demonstrations, among which the Ookla global broadband speed test illustrating HUTCH scoring a speed of 1.8Gbps as the fastest ever 5G speed in Sri Lanka and achieving an extremely low latency (Ping) rate. HUTCH demonstrated a cross section of 5G use cases including gaming, remote meeting, and high definition video playback using 5G and compared the difference in experience with 4G and 3G for the participants to better appreciate the efficiency of 5G and what it has in store for the future.
Commenting on the new milestone, HUTCH CEO, Thirukumar Nadarasa said, “This is indeed a special moment for all of us at HUTCH. As a company that seeks to exceed the expectations of our valued customers, the new HUTCH network is 5G-ready, fostering a new era of technological transformation. At HUTCH, we always believe in customer centric innovation and are proud to be at the cutting edge, demonstrating the latest and most advanced technologies to Sri Lanka.”
5G is said to have the potential to influence almost every industry backed by ultra-reliable low latency, massive machine type communications and enhanced mobile broadband to deliver lightning fast download speeds and access to real time data-backed insights creating groundbreaking solutions for the betterment of people, businesses and society. New concepts such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), industrial automation and many other applications will require 5G networks, and it is expected that many more innovations will continue to emerge once the 5G network is available.
With the strength of being part of a global Fortune 500 conglomerate, HUTCH has leveraged the expertise from its parent company, CK Hutchison Holdings, one of the first telecom operators to launch 5G worldwide. Being a leading telecommunication services provider, CK Hutchison has positioned itself as a key player in the global 5G drive for both mobile broadband as well as commercial purposes with advanced 5G networks already launched in Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Sweden & UK over the last two years, clearly demonstrating its commitment to advanced technology.
HUTCH geared up for the 5G trial in a backdrop of having completed the Etisalat merger last year with an island wide 4G expansion which proved to be a watershed moment in HUTCH’s long cherished journey in Sri Lanka. Starting off from 3G and then moving towards 4G and in future 5G, HUTCH will ensure that all customer segments have access to a stable high capacity broadband network delivering the best data experience.
