Samsung Electronics and MediaTek have made a groundbreaking achievement in wireless mobile capabilities by successfully testing 5G Standalone Uplink (UL) 2CC Carrier Aggregation (CA) with C-Band UL MIMO, reaching top uplink speeds.
This achievement is expected to bring enhanced connectivity to consumers around the world.
The demand for uplink performance has been increasing due to the rise of activities such as live streaming, multiplayer gaming, and video conferences. Upload speeds play a crucial role in determining how quickly devices can send data to gaming servers or transmit high-resolution videos to the cloud.
As more users aim to document and share their experiences in real-time, improved uplink experiences provide opportunities to utilize the network for tasks like mapping out routes, checking player statistics online, and uploading videos and selfies to share with friends and followers.
While current smartphones and customer premise equipment (CPEs) can only support 2Tx antennas, this industry-first demonstration showcased the enhanced mobile capability of 3Tx antenna support.
This approach not only improves upload speeds but also enhances spectrum and data transmission efficiency, as well as overall network performance.
The test was conducted at Samsung's lab in Suwon, Korea, using Samsung's 5G network solutions, including C-Band Massive MIMO radios, virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU), and core.
The MediaTek test device, featuring its new M80-based CPE chipset, initially utilized one uplink channel each at 1,900MHz and 3.7GHz, but then added an additional uplink flow using MIMO on 3.7GHz.
Both companies achieved a peak throughput rate of 363Mbps, representing an uplink speed near the theoretical peak using 3Tx antennas.
“We are excited to have successfully achieved this industry breakthrough with MediaTek, bringing greater efficiency and performance to consumer devices,” said Dongwoo Lee, Head of Technology Solution Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Faster uplink speeds bring new possibilities and have the potential to transform user experiences. This milestone further demonstrates our commitment to improving our customers’ networks using the most advanced technology available.”
“Enhancing uplink performance using groundbreaking tri-antenna and 5G UL infrastructure technologies will ensure next-generation 5G experiences continue to impress users globally,” said HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek. “Our collaboration with Samsung has proved our combined technical capabilities to overcome previous limits, enhancing network performance and efficiency, opening up new possibilities for service providers and consumers to enjoy faster and more reliable 5G data connectivity.”
“With demands on mobile networks rising, enhancing upload performance is essential to improving consumer and enterprise connectivity, as well as application experiences,” said Will Townsend, VP & Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Samsung and MediaTek have achieved an important 5G Standalone milestone in a demonstration which underscores a tangible network benefit and does so in a way that can help operators maximize efficiency.”
Meanwhile, Samsung has been delivering successful 5G end-to-end solutions, encompassing chipsets, radios, and core components. Through continuous research and development, Samsung drives the industry forward by advancing 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, including virtualized RAN and Core, private network solutions, and AI-powered automation tools.
The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators, enabling connectivity for hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
