Troubled vendor ZTE confirmed it is planning to launch its first commercial 5G smartphone in the first half of 2019, as the company completed a number of tests powered by the next-generation technology.

In a statement, ZTE said it completed a 5G call, as well as achieving internet and a WeChat connection, marking another “milestone in 5G commercial use”, on a ZTE smartphone.

It said it was able to complete the demonstration using an antenna integrated solution, supporting full coverage from sub6G spectrum the mm-Wave, “meeting the requirements of mainstream carriers around the world”.

ZTE’s testing builds on its first 5G call testing using 3GPP R15 global standards in April 2018, while it also completed a 5G call with a smartphone and a ZTE CPE device using a simulation system at the end of October.

The company also said it is aiming to bring a ZTE 5G suitable smartphone to market in the first half of 2019, as the industry gears up for commercial launch of the technology.

ZTE said its 5G data service continues to make progress, with additional multi-scenario R&D tests expecting to be conducted in December.

Around the same time, it will also unveil an experimental 5G CPE.

ZTE, like many of the world’s vendors, is hoping that the 5G era will transform its fortunes, following a testing period for the company. This year, it was hit with a ban in the US, which forced it to suspend its operations for a short period, before reaching a settlement. In its most recent earnings statement, it posted a 65 per cent decrease in profit in Q3, as it continued to feel the effects of the US trading embargo.