Verizon worked with Ericsson and Qualcomm to achieve a record US uplink data rate of 480Mb/s using sub-6 GHz spectrum as part of a move to enable AI applications across its network.

The set-up combines TDD two carrier aggregation (2CA) with C-Band spectrum and uplink MIMO.

Verizon, Ericsson and Qualcomm used 200MHz of C-band spectrum, employing 2×2 MIMO on each 100MHz channel, hosted on Ericsson’s RAN processor and Massive MIMO TDD antenna. 

The uplink rate enables low-latency interactions, improves customer experience and reduces bottlenecks in data-heavy applications.

There are also opportunities around smart surveillance, industrial automation, AR, and AI models, enabling real-time data processing and decision-making. 

Verizon stated industries including healthcare, remote robotics and live broadcasting benefit from fewer data transmission delays. 

Srini Kalapala, SVP of technology and product development at Verizon, said faster uplink speeds will allow customers to take advantage of AI applications on its network.