T-Mobile announced Thursday that its 5G wireless network achieved record-breaking upload speeds in a test of new technology capabilities.
The Bellevue-based carrier announced it was able to achieve upload speeds of 345 megabits per second, the fastest ever recorded in North America using the sub-midband frequency spectrum. Although this feat was achieved in mere testing, the results provide a glimpse of faster speeds to come for future subscribers. T-Mobile said it expects this feature to arrive on devices in 2025.
Most people focus on download speeds that allow them to stream high-definition videos and download files quickly, but whether you’re live streaming content on YouTube, posting videos on TikTok, or connecting with first-person filming, Upload speed is becoming increasingly important for those who rely on it. game. Technologies such as augmented reality and self-driving cars will become increasingly important as they require fast, reliable connectivity to operate smoothly. For 5G home internet customers, this could also mean a smoother experience on their computers and TVs.
T-Mobile collaborated with wireless chip maker Qualcomm and networking equipment supplier Nokia to achieve the new benchmark. The company used several technical tricks to increase the speed of its existing network. The first is a feature called UL Tx switching that utilizes different frequencies in the spectrum. In other words, it’s like widening a highway to add more lanes and interweaving each lane to get through faster. There’s also carrier aggregation, which brings together multiple channels of spectrum, and SU-MIMO, which essentially jams with more antennas, allowing you to send multiple cars onto the superhighway.
You don’t need to fully understand the technical details of the technology. Just know that it will lead to faster networks in the future.
“This achievement is a testament to our relentless pursuit of innovation and our commitment to providing our customers with a better network experience,” said Ulf Ewaldson, President of Technology at T-Mobile.
This effort helped T-Mobile claim the title of the fastest network in the country and steal its reputation for network quality from Verizon Wireless.
Part of that has to do with the midband spectrum. Midband spectrum is often referred to as sub-6 GHz because it operates below that frequency. T-Mobile owns a wide range of spectrum through its acquisition of Sprint, and has used it successfully. Verizon and AT&T acquired the spectrum in this frequency just last year and are also hard at work upgrading their networks.
It is important to note that this record only applies to spectrum below 6 GHz. The carrier also offers another type of his 5G, which operates on the millimeter wave spectrum. The millimeter wave spectrum is a high frequency that enables speeds like those typically found in fiber optic cables (above the 1 Gbps mark). However, its spectral range is narrow, which is why you see it primarily in stadiums and crowded urban centers like Times Square. Different carriers give it different labels, such as Verizon calling it Ultra Wideband or UW.
