While mobile network operators have started announcing their 5G-capable network implementations,
practical details of their capabilities are not widely supported through measurements.
This paper describes a practically implemented 5G architecture - based on the 5G Option
3x reference model - and initial results on its KPI (Key Performance Indicator) measurements.Beside
being matched against the 5G network expectations, the results are compared to our
actual hands-on 4G network measurements. The analysis of the 5G testbed result shows
that - as expected - 5G outperforms 4G in all basic KPIs, including up- and downlink
throughput as well as latency. Furthermore, the practical measurement results on this
non-standalone 5G architecture show that - when traffic preferences are configured
well - latency and jitter are not significantly affected by the load of the cell or
the core network. This is a long-awaited proof on 5G KPI promises coming true.