T-Mobile has announced it has set a new uplink speed record.
The company achieved a 550 Mbps 5G Advanced uplink speed using the 3GPP Release 17 UL Tx Switching feature.
This enabled smart multiplexing to maximise user throughput on the available device Tx chains through optimised use of UL Carrier Aggregation and UL MIMO for TDD and FDD spectrum, said the company.
The speed was achieved using a MediaTek smartphone with an integrated M90 modem, while the T-Mobile live network used 100MHz of TDD spectrum (n41) and 35MHz of FDD spectrum (n25).
Commenting on the demonstration, Ulf Ewaldsson, president of technology, T-Mobile, said, “Everyone obsesses over download speed, but at T-Mobile we see what’s coming, and uplink is the next big thing. 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.”
Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia, added, “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. Our partnership with T-Mobile keeps growing stronger, fuelling innovation, shaping the network of the future and delivering extraordinary experiences to T-Mobile’s customers.”
T-Mobile previously set a record of 275 Mbps in 2022, which it broke again in 2024 with 345 Mbps using Release 16 UL Tx Switching. This year’s figure, using Release 17, marks the beginning of 5G Advanced’s evolution, said the company.
