5G DC enables T-Mobile US to aggregate 2.5 GHz and mmWave spectrum, allowing for a huge boost to uplink throughput and capacity
T-Mobile US claimed a new world record with its 5G standalone (SA) network, leveraging an emerging feature called New Radio Dual Connectivity (5G DC).
In a release, the carrier said that 5G DC technology allowed it to massively increase uplink throughput and capacity, reaching peak speeds of 2.2 Gbps.
The operator said that the test also demonstrated the technology’s potential to create serious efficiencies in how data is transmitted from devices to the network.
5G DC enables T-Mobile US to aggregate 2.5 GHz and mmWave spectrum, allowing for a huge boost to uplink throughput and capacity, the telco said.
In this test, T-Mobile was able to allocate 60% of the mmWave radio resources for uplink where previous use cases typically allowed up to 20%.
The tests was completed using T-Mobile’s 5G SA production network in SoFi Stadium in Southern California with equipment and 5G DC solution from Ericsson and a mobile test smartphone powered by a Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System from Qualcomm Technologies.
“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,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, president of Technology at T-Mobile US.
The U.S. operator noted that download speeds typically reign as the top network performance metric, but with recent strides in uplink capabilities and increasingly demanding tasks, upload speed is becoming more important than ever, especially for live events, mobile gaming and extended reality applications. This is why SoFi Stadium served as the perfect test site for 5G DC, the telco explained.
Marten Lerner, head of Product Area Networks at Ericsson, said: “High uplink speeds are essential for delivering immersive experiences and reliable 5G connectivity. This mirrors one of our key objectives with the recent launch of Ericsson 5G Advanced, which is to elevate user experience by enhancing network performance for more interactive applications.”
Sunil Patil, VP of product management at Qualcomm Technologies highlighted that this new achievement shows what could be possible with 5G DC and how it can bring new experiences to consumers, especially at large events like football games and concerts. “We will continue our close collaboration with global innovators like T-Mobile and Ericsson to push the boundaries and unlock the full potential of 5G,” said Patil.
Earlier this year, T-Mobile US said it was adding new capacity to its 5G network by activating the 2.5 GHz spectrum it won in auction 108, expanding its Ultra Capacity 5G coverage to new communities. T-Mobile invested $304 million in the FCC’s Auction 108 back in 2022, securing 7,000 county-based licenses covering more than 80 million people.
T-Mobile’s 5G network covers more than 330 million people across two million square miles. More than 300 million people nationwide are covered by T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity 5G.
