T-Mobile has announced that it has achieved a world record 5G uplink speed during a recent trial, leveraging 5G Radio Dual Connectivity (5G DC). The carrier claims to have reached a peak uplink speed of 2.2Gbps using its 5G Standalone (5G SA) network.
The trial, which took place at SoFi Stadium in Southern California, saw T-Mobile use 5G DC to combine 2.5GHz and mmWave spectrum, allowing the carrier to significantly boost uplink throughput and capacity. In a breakthrough achievement, T-Mobile was able to allocate 60 percent of the mmWave radio resources for uplink, a significant jump from previous tests, which typically allowed for only 20 percent allocation.
The trial was conducted over T-Mobile’s 5G SA production network, with Ericsson providing the equipment and a 5G DC solution. A mobile test smartphone powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ flagship Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System was used for the test.
“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. “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.”
The 2.2Gbps uplink speed recorded by T-Mobile during the trial dwarfs the 12.19Mbps median upload speeds the carrier achieved in June 2024, as reported by Omdia.
“High uplink speeds are essential for delivering immersive experiences and reliable 5G connectivity,” said Mårten Lerner, head of product area networks at Ericsson. “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.”
T-Mobile currently operates the largest 5G network in the United States and launched its 5G SA network in 2020. Nigeria currently has two active 5G operators, and users have reported experiencing maximum speeds of up to 520 Mbps on these networks, though median scores are around 130 Mbps.
