5G upload data speed will be greatly improved!

Verizon, Samsung and Qualcomm continue to advance 5G Ultra Wideband technology innovation, achieving 711Mbps upload speed using mmWave spectrum

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14, 2021 – Verizon, Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm Technologies Inc. continue to push the boundaries of 5G and innovate to advance the performance of this transformative technology, recently achieving upload speeds of 711 Mbps in a lab trial using aggregated bands of millimeter wave spectrum.

“Our millimeter wave deployment provides us with a key differentiating advantage, and as we leverage our newly acquired mid-band spectrum to drive massive and rapid expansion of 5G services, we are doubling down on our efforts to fully utilize millimeter wave spectrum,” said Adam Koeppe, senior vice president of technology planning at Verizon. “We will continue to expand our millimeter wave deployment to provide transformative experiences for the densest network environments and unique enterprise solutions. As of the end of last year, we had built more than 17,000 millimeter wave base stations, and are on track to build another 14,000 in 2021. By the end of this year, there will be more than 30,000 millimeter wave base stations providing wireless services, and we will continue to expand thereafter.”

Verizon and Qualcomm have previously achieved multi-gigabit download speeds, but 711Mbps is the fastest the three parties have been able to achieve in terms of network upload speeds. These speeds are close to the levels achieved in recent trials (for comparison, over 700Mbps is equivalent to uploading a 1GB movie in about 10 seconds), and they lay the foundation for users to upload videos, pictures and data to the cloud, social media platforms, or share them directly with others in crowded places such as downtown streets, concerts and football stadiums. Whether using traditional mobile links or fixed wireless access, these speeds will support students studying at home and employees working in dispersed offices to upload and synchronize large files, edit cloud documents simultaneously, and easily collaborate with colleagues.

The breakthrough uplink speed will also support the deployment of new enterprise private networks. Higher uplink speeds can support manufacturers to use quality control solutions to discover tiny product defects that are only visible through ultra-high-definition video streams through AI. The speed increase will also enable other upload-intensive solutions, such as multi-location massive security video capabilities and customer experiences centered on augmented reality.

About this trial

The demonstration used the latest 5G technologies, including mmWave carrier aggregation and single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), to aggregate 400MHz of Verizon's 5G mmWave spectrum and 20MHz of 4G spectrum, exceeding previous peak upload rates. The demonstration used Samsung's 28GHz 5G Compact Macro and virtualized RAN (vRAN) and core network (vCore), as well as a smartphone form factor test terminal equipped with the flagship SnapdragonTM X65 5G modem and RF system.

Snapdragon X65 is Qualcomm Technologies' 4th generation 5G millimeter wave modem and RF system, which can be used in mobile phones, mobile broadband, computing, extended reality (XR), industrial Internet of Things, 5G enterprise private networks and fixed wireless access. Commercial mobile terminals based on the Snapdragon X65 modem and RF system are expected to be available later in 2021.

Samsung Compact Macro supports 5G millimeter wave connectivity by integrating baseband, radio and antenna in a single terminal. This compact and lightweight solution can be easily deployed on the side of buildings and on poles, helping to rapidly expand 5G networks. Compact Macro is the first to pass the Common Criteria (CC) certification of the internationally recognized IT security standard - Network Device Collaborative Protection Profile Specification (NDcPP).

“We are pleased to be working with Qualcomm Technologies and Verizon to achieve ultra-fast uplink speeds, which will help deliver differentiated 5G experiences and more immersive mobile services to all users,” said Junehee Lee, executive vice president and head of Networks Business R&D at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung looks forward to realizing the full potential of 5G through new breakthroughs, delivering truly transformative benefits to users and businesses around the world.”

“Increased uplink speeds will help 5G mmWave unlock new opportunities, not only benefiting transportation hubs, downtown areas, shopping malls and crowded places, but also supporting robust 5G fixed wireless access services for homes and small businesses,” said Marcos Maddega, senior vice president and general manager of 5G, mobile broadband and infrastructure business, Qualcomm Technologies. “Our collaboration with Samsung and Verizon is a great example of how we are bringing together ecosystem forces to jointly promote the commercialization of 5G mmWave and continuously enable exciting new user experiences.”

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is the world's leading wireless technology innovator and a driving force behind the development, commercialization and scale-up of 5G. Our invention of connecting mobile phones to the Internet opened the era of mobile Internet. Today, our basic technology enables the entire mobile ecosystem, and our inventions are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. We bring the advantages of mobile technology to new industries such as automobiles, the Internet of Things, and computing, creating a new world where people and everything can communicate and interact smoothly.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. was founded on June 30, 2000 and is a leading global provider of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City, Verizon operates around the world and had revenue of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company delivers data, video and voice services and solutions through its award-winning networks and platforms, meeting customer needs for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with innovative ideas and technologies. Samsung is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, as well as memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions.