Ericsson has further accelerated 5G with single user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) by delivering a single user uplink data rate of 315 megabits per second (Mbps), 15 to 20x faster than today’s typical uplink speed. With uplink data rates at that speed, consumers will be able to more quickly share 4K/8K video content captured by 5G mobile devices, thereby helping deliver on the promise of 5G to enable movie-quality video directly from users and further democratizing content creation.
This is notable because uplink has always been the bottleneck in mobile communication. Previously, 5G use cases and traffic demand have been focused on downlink, which is important for applications such as video streaming, augmented reality and virtual reality. But, with the proliferation of 5G consumer devices capable of capturing extremely high-resolution video, the demand for faster uplink throughput will be key to the overall 5G user experience.
Ericsson reached near theoretical peak uplink single user throughput leveraging the SU-MIMO technology and uplink (UL) 256 quadrature amplitude modulation in NR SA mode. This was built on top of Ericsson’s industry leading Uplink Booster implementation and the UL SU-MIMO algorithm automatically adapts the waveforms to further increase the coverage range. It provides the best combination of user data rate, cell capacity, interference suppression and capacity for the uplink.
Accomplished leveraging the 5G Distributed Innovation Network and with various Time Division Duplex patterns in Ericsson’s North America headquarters in Plano, Texas, the demonstration reached a peak data rate of 315 Mbps. With a test license of 100 MHz from 3,700 to 3,800 MHz and a mobile test device powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X60 5G Modem-RF System, Ericsson established a live C-Band network with a commercial 64T64R advanced antenna system radio on the building rooftop, supported by 5G core software.
“We continue to accelerate 5G across many frontiers,” said Paul Challoner, vice president of Networks Product Solutions, Ericsson North America. “Ericsson has the expertise and track record to offer the best performing 5G networks globally. We have demonstrated performance enhancements in the downlink and with this demonstration, we have now made a significant breakthrough in the uplink data rates, improving user experience when uploading data to the network.”
Leveraging expertise across Ericsson’s 5G portfolio, customers and partners now have access to the data developed as part of this demonstration, and can leverage the 5G Distributed Innovation Network to run no-risk, real-world experiments, working with the latest technology and the teams that enabled it, minimizing complexity from future implementations.
“Our multi-campus 5G Distributed Innovation Network is driving real innovation in North America across Ericsson’s leading products in radio, transport as well as 5G core and orchestration,” said Arvinder Anand, vice president of Architecture, Technology & E2E Solutions Digital Services, Ericsson North America. “This network serves as a great test-bed for demonstrating new applications and the monetization of 5G, particularly in an enterprise environment where edge computing, network slicing and orchestration are critical.”