Airtel, Nokia and MediaTek successfully complete trials combining the efficient use of TDD and FDD bands for Uplink on the latest generation chipset

Achieve highest uplink speed on 5G network with Advanced Uplink Functionality

Airtel, MediaTek and Nokia today announced the successful completion of trials that efficiently combine TDD and FDD mid-band spectrum on a time basis utilising the latest generation chipset. The trial aimed at maximising the uplink performance was conducted at Airtel’s tech lab and achieved uplink speeds of 300 Mbps, setting a new benchmark in 5G network performance. It underscores Airtel’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet the ever-growing demands of a connected world.

The trial enhanced UL speeds by aggregating frequency bands of 3.5 Ghz (n78) and 2.1 Ghz (n1), a groundbreaking innovation that significantly improves the uplink performance for demanding use cases by dynamically switching the uplink transmission across two carriers in TDD and FDD spectrum more efficiently. The innovative UL Tx switching promises faster connectivity, enhanced user experience, and improved network efficiency, catering to high-demand 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 used equipment from Nokia’s next-generation 5G AirScale radio portfolio while MediaTek provided its Dimensity 5G mobile platform as the user equipment.