This is the third time we have achieved world firsts with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies. In 2016, we broke the 1Gbps barrier on 4G; in January this year, we set a new download record on 5G, and now we have set a new record in the uplink. It is testament to the continuous efforts of our team to innovate, and I take pride in how, together, we continue to push the boundaries of what this technology can deliver.
We’ve expanded our 5G rapidly this year with more than 4000 sites now in operation extending 5G coverage to over 240 cities and towns nationally and reaching over 75% of the Australian population, and we are continuing to grow our 5G to reach 95% population coverage by mid-2025. All this time, we’ve been working closely with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies to develop our 5G network to the highest standard, and this upload speed result marks another significant milestone for our collaboration.
The record-breaking speed was achieved by combining the data rates from our mid-band and mmWave 5G network spectrum, using Ericsson’s New Radio-Dual Connectivity software feature with uplink four-component Carrier Aggregation and a smartphone form-factor test device powered by Snapdragon® X65 5G Modem-RF System.
Delivering uplink peak rates of close to 1Gbps will enable us to more than double the current uplink throughput in our 5G network. This is particularly important for supporting applications and services that involve uploading vast amounts of data, like video conferencing, sharing content on social media or streaming vision from smart home cameras.
This technical achievement will allow us to confidently implement these new technologies in our 5G network, improving the experience for customers all across our network – but especially in situations like edge of cell connectivity and in-building coverage where the latest 5G standards can benefit you the most.
