Airtel, Nokia, and MediaTek achieve breakthrough in 5G uplink speeds with advanced uplink functionality

New Delhi [India], September 2 : Bharti Airtel, in collaboration with Nokia and MediaTek, has successfully completed trials that have set a new benchmark in 5G network performance.
According to Bharti Airtel, the trials, conducted at Airtel's tech lab, combined the efficient use of Time Division Duplex (TDD) and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mid-band spectrum, achieving uplink speeds of 300 Mbps--the highest recorded on a 5G network to date.
The trial specifically aimed to maximise uplink performance by aggregating frequency bands of 3.5 GHz (n78) and 2.1 GHz (n1). This innovation, known as Uplink Tx (Transmission) switching, dynamically switches the uplink transmission across two carriers in the TDD and FDD spectrum more efficiently, resulting in significantly improved uplink performance.
The advanced uplink functionality promises faster connectivity, enhanced user experience, and improved network efficiency, particularly for data-intensive use cases such as video conferencing, live streaming, and large file uploads.
Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Bharti Airtel said, "At Airtel, continuous innovation remains the bedrock of all our product and service offerings. This trial not only stands testament to our philosophy of enhancing our state-of-the-art network infrastructure and delivering an unmatched 5G user experience but will also greatly enhance our network's uplink performance, resulting in faster data speeds and improved connectivity."
Dr Ho-Chi Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication Systems and Partnerships at MediaTek, said: "We are thrilled to collaborate with Bharti Airtel and Nokia on this groundbreaking trial in India where our Dimensity 5G mobile platform played a crucial role in achieving the highest uplink speeds on Airtel's 5G network. This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that enhances the connectivity experience for users."
Tarun Chhabra, Country Manager and Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia, India, said: "We are proud to partner with our long-term partner Airtel on this ground-breaking project. Uplink Tx switching will pave the way for superior 5G networks, enabling seamless data transfer in mobile devices and driving demand for data-intensive applications like XR. We congratulate Bharti Airtel for achieving this milestone and pushing the boundaries of connectivity to new realms."
For this advanced trial, Airtel utilised equipment from Nokia's next-generation 5G AirScale radio portfolio, while MediaTek provided its Dimensity 5G mobile platform as the user equipment.