T-Mobile has attained 5G uplink speed of more than 2.2 Gbps at peak, which is the fastest speed recorded anywhere in the world, the company stated in an announcement this week.
In a test with Ericsson and Qualcomm, T-Mobile used an emerging feature called New Radio Dual Connectivity (5G DC) to combine mid-band spectrum with mmWave to vastly increase uplink throughput and the capacity to reach the new speed on its standalone production network.
T-Mobile said the 5G DC speed test demonstrated the technology’s potential “to create serious efficiencies in how data is transmitted from devices to the network.”
Qualcomm Technologies Inc.’s Vice President of Product Management Sunil Patil said, “This groundbreaking achievement shows what could be possible with 5G DC and how it can bring new, unparalleled experiences to consumers, especially at large events like football games and concerts.”
Upload speed is becoming increasingly more desirable for improving user experiences at live events, in mobile gaming, and for extended reality applications, T-Mobile said. For this reason, T-Mobile’s chosen site for the 5G uplink speed test was SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles County, which hosts football games and concerts where people want to post and live-stream in real-time.
The test encompassed equipment and 5G DC solution from Ericsson and a mobile test smartphone powered by a flagship Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF system from Qualcomm Technologies Inc. The carrier said it was able to allocate 60% of the mmWave radio resources for uplink, compared with previous use cases that typically allowed up to 20%.
“With 5G DC, T-Mobile is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to create better experiences in the places that matter most to our customers,” T-Mobile President of Technology Ulf EwaldssonMobile said about the speed test. “This accomplishment is a testament to the network we’ve built over the last five years and our ability to deliver unparalleled capabilities that extend beyond the devices in our pockets.”
