Latest news with #uplink
Phone Arena
21-05-2025
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile has already given phone buyers a reason not to pick any other carrier this year
When T-Mobile smashed a new uplink speed record last week, it only briefly mentioned UL Tx Switching, though this underemphasized detail should actually give you even more reason to be excited. The company's new speed record may be little more than a marketing claim, but Release 17 UL Tx Switching is the real deal. This tech allows smartphones to make the most of their hardware for sending data, improving reliability and efficiency by ensuring the most optimal path is used at any given moment. T-Mobile may be veering away from its Uncarrier ethos, but the carrier very much continues to deliver on the technological front. Uplink speed, or the rate at which data is sent from a device, is the next big thing, according to T-Mobile . For the longest time, everyone obsessed over download speeds, but in an age where many are uploading data more frequently, uplink speed is no longer a metric to be discussed in passing. It's as important as download speed for power users, gamers, and content creators these days. T-Mobile set an uplink speed record of 550 Mbps in the sub-6 GHz spectrum using 5G Advanced technology. The company was the first to do a live demo of the R17 UL Tx Switching feature on a commercial site. This achievement comes a month after the deployment of 5G Advanced by the carrier. 5G Advanced is a new category of 5G and will allow for better network performance and capacity, resulting in higher speed, reliability, and efficiency. Now, as Mike Thelander, president of Signals Research Group notes (as reported by Fierce Wireless) T-Mobile likely conducted its speed test in a carefully selected position near a cell site. That's not reflective of where most users use their phones though, so an average user may not be able to hit this peak speed. While that doesn't make the record any less impressive, it means that you may not necessarily notice faster uploads. Besides, not many applications require such insane speeds. The more interesting detail here, according to Thelander, is uplink transmit switching. —Mike Thelander, president of Signals Research Group, May 2025, UL Tx switching is a feature that lets a device dynamically switch between different uplink paths. The use of multiple uplink technologies, such as carrier aggregation and MIMO, allows the tech to get the most out of a phone's hardware. This essentially expands uplink capacity and boosts speed by enabling seamless switching and a combination of different frequencies. T-Mobile likened it to "taking the 5G superhighway and adding new faster lanes with spare capacity for traffic to zoom faster than ever." T-Mobile hasn't started deploying this feature yet but Thelander expects it to be available in some markets soon. It's also not clear which phones support the tech. Thelander implies that most modern handsets don't, but some upcoming smartphones might. Since the feature was defined in 3GPP Release 17, which isn't the newest 5G standard any longer, most current Android flagships and the iPhone 16 family may support it, but that's just a guess on our part. In any case, Thelander seems to suggest that current phones don't support R17 UL Tx Switching. If you consider yourself a power user and seek exceptional uplink performance, you will want to stick with T-Mobile , despite whatever grievances you may have with it. This is especially true if upcoming flagships will support the feature, as it will be of no use on other networks.
Phone Arena
07-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
T-Mobile achieves a record-breaking uplink speed of 550Mbps using 5G Advanced technology
When we discuss how fast a carrier's data speed is, we are usually talking about downlink speeds, or the speed at which data is transferred from the internet to your phone. The lesser discussed uplink speeds measure how fast data is sent to the internet from your device. When bragging to your buddies about how fast your wireless provider is, the former is the speed mentioned. T-Mobile announces a record-breaking 5G uplink data speed of 550Mbps. | Image credit-T-Mobile The next carrier to offer nationwide SA 5G will probably be Boost Mobile. Verizon and AT&T are still working on their SA 5G networks. We should point out that in order to use 5G Advanced, a T-Mobile customer must have a compatible phone. The record uplink speed of 550Mbps in sub-6GHz spectrum was achieved using Release 17 UL Tx Switching. This technology uses multiple transmit antennas to improve the reliability and data rate from the upload connection to the base station. Using different antennas to transmit the same information makes it easier for the network to receive the signal. The carrier says that while speeds differ by location, typical on-device downlink data speeds on T-Mobile 's nationwide 5G network are 89–418 Mbps with occasional peaks over 1 Gbps. Typical uplink speeds are in the range of 6–31 Mbps. You can see why a 550Mbps uplink speed is something for T-Mobile to crow about. T-Mobile says that while downlink speeds have always been the focus of the wireless industry, the future that the carrier sees includes connections that are interactive, cloud-connected, and run in real time. T-Mobile says that this means uplink connectivity is more important than ever before for power users, creators, and gamers. The carrier says that it is leading the way as these users need a phone that will upload as fast as it downloads. -Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology, T-Mobile The record uplink data speed was not created by T-Mobile in a lab but was achieved at a real commercial site in Seattle. The wireless provider used some of the tech available in 5G Advanced, such as Carrier Aggregation. This combines single frequency bands into a wider virtual channel that hosts a higher capacity of traffic. Think about how much faster you can drive on a highway when additional lanes have been added. Another 5G Advanced trick, MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), adds antennas to base stations and the target phones. The live network demonstration was done on 100MHz of Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum (n41) and 35MHz of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) spectrum (n25). The former uses a single band for both uplink and downlink communication. The latter uses separate frequency bands for uplink and downlink communications. A MediaTek test smartphone was employed, sporting an M90 5G modem. Even while subscribers are going on social media to complain about the declining customer service experiences they have had with T-Mobile , the carrier continues to be the most innovative and fastest-growing of the four major US carriers. T-Mobile is always looking for ways to expand its holdings of spectrum, which helps the company stay ahead of its rivals who have been complaining to the FCC about T-Mobile 's domination in this area.
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
T-Mobile Sets New Uplink Speed Record with 5G Advanced
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2025-- While other carriers are still talking about download speed, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today announced a record-breaking 550 Mbps uplink speed in sub-6 GHz spectrum, which it achieved using 3GPP Release 17 UL Tx Switching in a live demo with Nokia and MediaTek. The Un-carrier just made history with the world's first live demo of R17 UL Tx Switching — not in a lab but a real commercial site in Seattle, proving once again that innovation lives at T-Mobile. 'Everyone obsesses over download speed, but at T-Mobile we see what's coming, and uplink is the next big thing,' said Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology, T-Mobile. 'Whether you're uploading 4K video, gaming in real time, or powering a VR headset, this record shows that T-Mobile is already building the network for that future and focused on bringing the best customer experience.' T-Mobile achieved this record-breaking 5G Advanced uplink speed by implementing the 3GPP Release 17 UL Tx Switching feature. This feature provides smart multiplexing to maximize user throughput on the available device Tx chains by optimizing use of UL Carrier Aggregation and UL MIMO for TDD and FDD spectrum. 'It's significantly more challenging for carriers to enhance data speeds in the uplink — from a mobile device back to the network — compared to boosting downlink speeds. This is precisely what makes this achievement so impressive. As demand continues to rise for AI, XR and video uploads, exceptional uplink performance will become essential,' said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia. 'Our partnership with T-Mobile keeps growing stronger, fueling innovation, shaping the network of the future and delivering extraordinary experiences to T-Mobile's customers.' Uplink Speed in Action In the T-Mobile live network demonstration, 100MHz of TDD spectrum (n41) and 35MHz of FDD spectrum (n25) was used to achieve the record breaking 550 Mbps total speed. The test was conducted using a MediaTek smartphone flagship test device with an integrated M90 modem. 'This groundbreaking 550 Mbps uplink speed achievement, using 5G Advanced features, is a thrilling example of the innovation that can take place when we work together,' said HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek. 'This milestone, a result of collaboration with T-Mobile, marks a significant leap forward for immersive VR and AR experiences, enabling creators and consumers to seamlessly interact, stream and share content with unparalleled real-time responsiveness.' The Leader in 5G T-Mobile has consistently led the charge in uplink innovation, setting a record of 275 Mbps in 2022, breaking it with 345 Mbps in early 2024 using Release 16 UL Tx Switching and this year, surpassing 500 Mbps with Release 17. This is just the beginning — as 5G Advanced evolves, so will the Un-carrier's lead. This demo highlights T-Mobile's ongoing commitment to bringing customers the best in 5G Advanced , now available nationwide. With this record-breaking uplink speed, T-Mobile isn't just ahead of the pack in 5G; it's shaping what's next, always focused on giving customers the experience they deserve. For more information on T-Mobile's network, visit . Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news. Speeds differ by location; typical on-device download speeds on T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network are 89–418 Mbps with peaks over 1Gbps; typical upload speeds are 6–31 Mbps. See 5G device, coverage, & access details at About T-Mobile T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America's supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile's customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: . View source version on CONTACT: Media Contact T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations [email protected] Relations Contact T-Mobile US, Inc. [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WASHINGTON INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE DATA MANAGEMENT CONSUMER ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CARRIERS AND SERVICES AUDIO/VIDEO MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS APPS/APPLICATIONS 5G OTHER TECHNOLOGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS INTERNET MOBILE/WIRELESS SOURCE: T-Mobile US, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/07/2025 09:09 AM/DISC: 05/07/2025 09:08 AM
