5G Milestone: Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Xiaomi Triple Upload Speeds

5G Milestone: Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Xiaomi Triple Upload Speeds

(IN BRIEF) Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Xiaomi have achieved a major breakthrough in 5G technology through a successful test in Europe. They achieved peak upload speeds of up to 273 megabits per second (Mbps), significantly faster than the typical 100 Mbps upload speed seen in most smartphones and home broadband services. This advancement is expected to improve user experiences and cater to the growing demand for cloud storage, video streaming, augmented reality, and online gaming when next-generation devices arrive in 2024. The technology uses Vodafone’s 5G Standalone networks, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, and Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 22-Jan-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Vodafone (LON: VOD), a British multinational leader in technology communications, in collaboration with Qualcomm and Xiaomi, has achieved a significant breakthrough in 5G technology. In a pioneering European technical test of advanced 5G uplink technology, the consortium achieved peak upload speeds of up to 273 megabits per second (Mbps), far exceeding the average upload speed of 100 Mbps seen in most current smartphones and home broadband services. This milestone is set to enhance user experiences significantly, especially with the upcoming generation of devices expected in 2024.

The test harnessed the power of Vodafone’s new 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks in Germany and Spain, Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, and Xiaomi’s next flagship smartphone. By optimizing uplink capabilities, this technology allows users to upload photos, videos, and files to social media and cloud platforms at nearly double the current speed, meeting the growing demand for cloud storage, video streaming, augmented and virtual reality applications, and online gaming.

Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer of Vodafone said: “We want our customers to be among the first anywhere in the world to benefit from this new 5G feature when it becomes available. That’s why we are working with key partners to lead the industry in pulling together and testing the necessary network, silicon chips and devices to turn it into a reality, all while driving a stronger vendor and developer ecosystem.”

Vodafone’s commitment to deploying 5G SA networks, as opposed to relying on 4G technology for 5G services, underlines its dedication to pushing the boundaries of 5G technology. This achievement is made possible through Uplink Carrier Aggregation with Tx Switching, a technique that combines multiple transmission channels supported by smartphones and mobile antennas. As Vodafone continues to roll out 5G SA networks, users can look forward to enhanced uplink performance, resource utilization, and broader 5G coverage.

This successful pilot test represents a significant step in the evolution of 5G technology, paving the way for even more advanced 5G capabilities in the future. It highlights the collaborative efforts of Vodafone, Qualcomm, and Xiaomi in advancing 5G technology and enhancing the customer experience.

Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, Qualcomm Europe/MEA of Qualcomm Europe, Inc., said: “We are proud of our continued collaboration with Vodafone and Xiaomi to achieve another 5G milestone. The evolution of 5G towards 5G Standalone, the ultimate realisation of 5G technologies is a crucial step for enabling the full promise of 5G with 5G Advanced.”

“The successful pilot test of UL Tx switching highlights the added value that maximises resource utilisation with respect to user equipment’s capability and further enhances the uplink performance,” added Andi Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Product & Technology at Xiaomi. “We are committed to working with key partners in innovating in 5G and access technologies to enhance the customer experience and stay ahead.”

Note to Editors About the test in Germany and Spain

Today’s smartphones either have one or two channels dedicated to uplink, with each one offering approximately 100Mbps depending on where the user is (indoor or crowded areas tends to decrease capacity). Using Uplink Carrier Aggregation with Tx Switching, together with a commercial device, Vodafone and its technology vendors have been able to more optimised ways of transmitting information. This boosted speed by 35% to 54% depending on the distance between the smartphone and mobile site.

The successful tests took place in the Spanish city of Ciudad Real using Vodafone’s live, multi-vendor testing 5G network named ‘CREATE’ (Ciudad Real España Advanced Testing Environment) and Vodafone’s commercial 5G SA network in Hannover, Germany. The uplink boost is the latest 5G innovation from Vodafone, which also includes successful tests of 6GHz spectrum for boosting capacity in the future, as well as new software ideally suited to low powered devices like smart watches, credit card readers and portable routers, which doesn’t drain battery life.

About Vodafone

Vodafone is the largest pan-European and African telecoms company. Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology to improve lives, digitalise critical sectors and enable inclusive and sustainable digital societies.

We provide mobile and fixed services to over 300 million customers in 17 countries, partner with mobile networks in 46 more and are also a world leader in the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting over 167 million devices and platforms. With Vodacom Financial Services and M-Pesa, the largest financial technology platform in Africa, we serve more than 71 million people across seven countries.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact to reach net zero emissions by 2040, while helping our customers reduce their own carbon emissions by 350 million tonnes by 2030. We are driving action to reduce device waste and achieve our target to reuse, resell or recycle 100% of our network waste by 2025.

For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com, follow us on Twitter at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations
Investors.vodafone.com
ir@vodafone.co.uk

Media Relations
Vodafone.com/media/contact
GroupMedia@vodafone.com

SOURCE: VODAFONE