T-Mobile US used the Samsung Galaxy S22 phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform
T-Mobile US said it was able to aggregate three channels of mid-band 5G spectrum, reaching speeds over 3 Gbps on its standalone 5G network. The carrier used the Samsung Galaxy S22 phone powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform with Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF System on a live production network.
“This test demonstrates the incredible power of mid-band spectrum and represents another huge step forward for standalone 5G,” said Neville Ray, president of Technology at T-Mobile. “Only T-Mobile is delivering a nationwide standalone 5G network to customers today, and we’re blazing a trail with new performance-boosting capabilities that generate incredible speeds and deliver on our vision to create the highest capacity network in the country.”
T-Mobile US noted that 5G Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) allows the combination of multiple 5G channels to improve speed and performance. In this test, the carrier merged three 5G channels — two channels of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G and one channel of 1900 MHz spectrum — to create an effective 210 MHz 5G channel.
T-Mobile claimed to be the first operator in the world to launch a nationwide SA 5G network nearly two years ago.
NR CA is already live in parts of T-Mobile’s network combining two 2.5 GHz 5G channels. The telco said that those customers with the Samsung Galaxy S22 will be among the first to experience a third 1900 MHz 5G channel later this year. This capability will expand across the carrier’s network and to additional devices in the near future.
Earlier this month, T-Mobile U.S. announced that customers in limited areas of Portland and Salt Lake City who have the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G now have access to Voice Over New Radio (VoNR) services. The carrier said additional cities will be added to the list throughout the remainder of this year.
According to T-Mobile US, VoNR brings the promise of Standalone (SA) 5G “one step closer” by enabling advanced capabilities like network slicing that rely on a continuous connection to a 5G core. At the recent Big 5G Event in Austin, Texas, Ray told RCR Wireless News that in addition to ultimately supporting 5G voice calls, VoNR, without a Non-Standalone 5G or LTE anchor, sees its investment in low-band as the “foundation” of the company’s network.
The carrier’s Extended Range 5G (low-band 600 MHz spectrum) covers 315 million people across 1.8 million square miles, while 225 million people nationwide are covered with its Ultra Capacity 5G (2.5 GHz spectrum). The carrier expects to cover 260 million in 2022 and 300 million next year.
