Ericsson and MediaTek have achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new 5G upload speed record of 440 Mbps in low-band and mid-band spectrum. This significant milestone was accomplished using Uplink Carrier Aggregation, resulting in enhanced user experiences for video conference users, streamers, and their viewers through higher image resolution and more frames per second. The record uplink speed was attained during an interoperability development test at an Ericsson lab, utilizing RAN Compute Baseband 6648 and a mobile device equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 9200 flagship 5G smartphone chipset.
This ground-breaking achievement involved the aggregation of a frequency division duplex (FDD) and a time division duplex (TDD) channel in a frequency range prevalent in today’s 5G networks. The specific combination used included 50MHz FDD n1 and 100MHz TDD n77 bands. By integrating these two bands, communications service providers can substantially boost their uplink speeds, thereby improving network performance and the overall user experience.
Sibel Tombaz, Head of Product Line 5G RAN at Ericsson, highlighted the importance of fast uplink speeds in enhancing user experiences, stating that “super-fast uplink speeds make a big difference in the user experience, from lag-free live streaming, video conferencing, and AR/VR apps, to more immersive gaming and extended reality (XR) technologies.” She also emphasized that the “440 Mbps upload speed achieved by Ericsson and MediaTek will help make that difference.” Ericsson remains committed to developing innovative solutions aimed at optimizing 5G networks, enabling customers to make the best use of their spectrum assets.
Innovative methods for boosting capacity and utilizing existing spectrum efficiently are in demand. Service providers are constantly seeking ways to address the ever-growing need for wireless data and applications. Carrier aggregation is a viable solution, as it allows service providers to optimize their spectrum assets, resulting in improved coverage, higher capacity, and increased data speeds for users.
Commenting on the achievement, HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek, said, “the successful result of combining Ericsson’s state-of-the-art 5G Baseband and MediaTek’s flagship smartphone chip has achieved another 5G industry milestone and paves the way for superior mobile experiences to benefit users every day.”
As gaming, XR, and video-based apps continue to grow in popularity, uplink speed becomes increasingly crucial. For instance, with the rise of AR devices and larger augmentation objects, rendering requirements escalate, placing added pressure on network operators to deliver higher throughput and lower latency. This major accomplishment by Ericsson and MediaTek is an essential step in ensuring an exceptional user experience across various applications and sectors.
