Verizon sets new 5G upload speed record as it continues to advance its network to manage AI and other emerging workloads
Verizon (VZ) has achieved a North American record-breaking 480 Mbps uplink speed in a successful trial with Ericsson and Qualcomm. The breakthrough was accomplished using a combination of two TDD carrier component aggregation with C-band spectrum and uplink MIMO technology.
The enhanced uplink capabilities are important for managing AI-driven workloads and emerging applications such as smart surveillance, industrial automation, and generative AI models. These applications require continuous data uploads for analysis, decision-making, and model training.
The advancement is particularly significant for time-sensitive applications like healthcare diagnostics, remote robotics, and live broadcasting. The improved upload speeds will enable seamless data transmission from devices to the cloud, support low-latency interactions, and reduce bottlenecks in data-heavy applications.
- Achieved record-breaking 480 Mbps uplink speed in North America
- Enhanced network capabilities for AI and data-intensive applications
- Strategic advancement in 5G technology through successful trial
- None.
Insights
Verizon's achievement of 480 Mbps uplink speeds represents a significant technical milestone that strengthens its competitive position in the evolving 5G landscape. This 4-5x improvement over typical current 5G upload speeds provides Verizon a technical advantage in the U.S. market, particularly for enterprise applications where upload capability is increasingly critical.
The timing is strategically important as carriers shift focus from download to upload performance to support emerging AI and industrial applications. This positions Verizon to potentially capture high-margin enterprise customers in sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and media production where real-time data transmission delivers measurable operational value.
From an investment perspective, this technology advancement supports Verizon's differentiation strategy in three key ways:
- Enables premium service tiers for data-intensive business applications
- Strengthens Verizon's position in the enterprise market where margins typically exceed consumer services
- Creates technical barriers against competitors still focused primarily on download speeds
While impressive technically, investors should note several important considerations: commercial deployment will likely follow 12-18 months after successful trials; implementation will require capital investment in network infrastructure; and most current consumer devices cannot yet utilize these maximum speeds.
This development aligns with Verizon's long-term strategy of building network capabilities that enable new revenue streams beyond traditional connectivity services, particularly as AI adoption accelerates across industries requiring robust uplink performance.
Verizon's achievement of 480 Mbps uplink speeds addresses a strategic gap in 5G implementation that competitors have largely overlooked. While the industry has focused primarily on download speeds (now reaching 1-2 Gbps), typical uplink capabilities have remained constrained at 60-100 Mbps, creating a performance asymmetry that limits certain applications.
This technical milestone has three strategic implications:
- Enables Verizon to differentiate its enterprise offerings in the increasingly commoditized connectivity market
- Creates technical foundations for specialized network slices that can command premium pricing
- Positions Verizon ahead of the anticipated wave of industrial AI applications that require substantial uplink capacity
The focus on uplink performance indicates a calculated pivot in Verizon's market approach. Rather than competing solely on consumer-facing metrics, this technology targets high-margin enterprise segments where Verizon faces less direct competition from cable providers and fixed wireless alternatives.
For investors, this represents Verizon's strategic response to two market pressures: the need to monetize massive 5G infrastructure investments and the search for differentiated service offerings that can sustain premium pricing in an increasingly competitive market.
The technology demonstration also reveals Verizon's long-term vision of transforming from a connectivity provider into an essential infrastructure partner for AI-driven business transformation - a potentially more defensible market position with higher switching costs for customers who integrate these capabilities into operational systems.
Successful trial by Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm achieves North American uplink speeds of 480 Mbps using Advanced 5G technologies
NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the ecosystem around 5G evolves, Verizon has been actively optimizing its network with 5G advanced technology, high-speed fiber, edge computing and intelligent management to efficiently handle the massive data demands of real-time applications, seamless cloud connectivity, and data-intensive demands of AI-driven workloads.
Verizon and its collaborators Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., just made another large leap forward in advancing that ecosystem. Using a combination of two TDD carrier component aggregation with C-band spectrum and uplink MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology, the companies achieved a US record-breaking 480 Mbps uplink speed using sub-6 GHz spectrum.
“Emerging applications, such as smart surveillance, industrial automation, augmented reality devices and generative AI models, require massive amounts of data to be continuously uploaded for analysis, decision-making, and model training,” said Srini Kalapala, Senior Vice President of Technology and Product Development at Verizon. “Faster uplink speeds, in combination with the other advancements we’ve been introducing into our network, ensure that AI-driven systems can process real-time video feeds, sensor data, and user interactions without lag, improving responsiveness and accuracy. The work we are doing to drive uplink speeds is a key variable that will allow our customers to take advantage of these AI applications on our network.”
Extremely fast upload speeds are particularly critical for time-sensitive applications like healthcare diagnostics, remote robotics, and live broadcasting, where delays in data transmission can impact outcomes. Higher uplink speeds for solutions such as these provide seamless data transmission from customers’ devices to the cloud, enable low-latency interactions and reduce bottlenecks in data-heavy applications. With the 5G enhanced uplink capabilities demonstrated in this trial, businesses and industries will be able to unlock many benefits of AI, enabling smarter automation, improving efficiencies, and delivering more immersive user experiences. Real-time applications such as video conferencing, cloud gaming, IoT communications, and augmented reality (AR) also rely on robust uplink capabilities for seamless performance. Additionally, as more users generate and upload high-resolution content to platforms like social media and streaming services, strong uplink capabilities help maintain smooth performance and enhance customers’ experience.
“Reaching 480 Mbps uplink speeds is a remarkable achievement and highlights the strength of Ericsson’s RAN technology,” said Hannes Ekström, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Verizon for Ericsson North America. “This breakthrough not only boosts data upload efficiency but also meets the high demands of real-time applications and AI-driven tasks. Our technology is essential for providing smooth performance and outstanding user experiences across enterprise and consumer applications alike.”
About the trial
In this demonstration of technological capabilities, Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies used 200 MHz of C-band spectrum, employing 2x2 MIMO on each 100MHz channel, hosted on Ericsson’s state-of-the-art Generation 4 RAN Processor 6672 and Massive MIMO TDD antenna integrated radio AIR 6449.
MIMO is a technology that uses multiple antennas on both the network and the device to send and receive multiple data streams simultaneously. It enhances throughput, reliability, and coverage by leveraging multiple antennas to combat interference and improve signal strength.
The trial also employed TDD (Time Division Duplex.) TDD is a method that allows both uplink and downlink to share the same frequency band but at different time slots. It is used to dynamically allocate time for uploads and downloads based on dynamically shifting network demands, and improves spectral efficiency, especially in scenarios where download and upload needs vary.
“This achievement is a powerful demonstration of Verizon, Ericsson, and Qualcomm Technologies’ commitment to advancing the 5G frontier. Fast upload speeds are essential for applications where every second matters, ensuring seamless data transmission from devices to the cloud for real-time interactions. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of empowering businesses to fully leverage AI, driving smarter automation, greater efficiency, and more engaging user experiences,” said Sunil Patil, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of
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