Ericsson, in collaboration with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies, has announced a record-breaking uplink speed of 516 Mbps, surpassing the previous record of 447 Mbps in October 2024. This is the highest uplink speed achieved on a live commercial sub-6GHz 5G Standalone (SA) network.
This achievement supports the growing importance of 5G uplink capabilities as consumer and enterprise applications require increasingly higher upload speeds for live streaming, video conferencing, and real-time data processing with AI.
The performance was achieved using a single 50MHz 5G SA carrier in the 2600MHz spectrum band, leveraging Uplink Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) Single User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (SU-MIMO) technology. Ericsson’s RAN Processor 6672 and Radio 4466, combined with the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System from Qualcomm Technologies, powered this achievement.
While actual consumer speeds won’t reach the level achieved in this new record, consumers with compatible devices in areas where Telstra has the necessary technology deployed will benefit from enhanced performance off the back of these advancements. Future implementations of technologies such as 3GPP Release 16 Uplink Transmit Switching and Uplink Carrier Aggregation will complement this capability, ensuring consistent and reliable uplink experiences across Telstra’s network.
Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, commented: “Our collaboration with Telstra continues to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in 5G technology. This achievement reflects the strength of our latest Radio Access Network hardware and software solutions and highlights our commitment to enabling superior network performance for communication service providers worldwide. As we continue to collaborate with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies, our focus remains on delivering cutting-edge solutions that empower operators to provide faster, more reliable, and more consistent network experiences for their customers.”
Sri Amirthalingam, Telstra’s Wireless Engineering Executive, said: “Achieving this uplink speed record demonstrates our relentless pursuit of innovation to deliver enhanced network performance for our customers. Together with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, we are bringing transformative 5G capabilities to life, enabling greater consistency of performance, reliability and speed when it matters most.”
Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Technology Planning & Edge Solutions, Qualcomm Technologies, added: “We are excited to partner with Telstra and Ericsson to set a new 5G uplink speed record. The UL SU-MIMO technology, driven by our Snapdragon X80, represents a notable advancement in network uplink performance and capacity. This achievement underscores our dedication to providing innovative 5G solutions that address the increasing everyday data demands of modern applications.”