Vodafone UK teamed with Google to enhance 5G upload speeds on the company’s Pixel smartphone line, as the operator continues to boost its data offering around user-generated content.

The companies stated they would use Vodafone UK’s 5G Ultra network to make it easier for consumers to share 4K content, allowing for live-streaming “of movie-quality video content”.

Enhanced data services will be available on the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the new Pixel 9 line which includes its foldable offering.

The duo explained it had recognised the growing importance of user generated content, and would use MIMO technology to improve upload speeds. Vodafone said it is making the enhancement possible by doubling the amount of antennas used by the devices.

The move comes after Vodafone initially introduced MIMO technology on the Pixel 8 Pro in June 2024, which it claimed resulted in faster uploads and enhanced Uplink Carrier Aggregation (ULCA) for increased download speeds.

Digital highway
Andrea Dona, chief network officer at Vodafone, said that by looking at the data, it could clearly see “customer behaviour changing as more of our lives become digital”.

For example, it found that sharing of user-generated content was becoming increasingly important at events.

Generally speaking, upload data across its network for day-to-day purposes accounts for 10-15 per cent of total data traffic. However, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships it accounted for 16.4 per cent and at the Glastonbury Festival it hit more than 18 per cent.

“In previous years, the digital highway was a one-way street, with consumers downloading significantly more data than uploading, but it is starting to balance out now. We must recognise this customer trend and adapt our network as a result,” added Dona.