BT Group announced the successful uplink aggregation of two carrier components within a 5G Standalone (SA) live network spectrum in collaboration with Nokia. BT Group stated that the achievement, which signifies a breakthrough in 5G technology, enhances uplink speeds for various applications, including live streaming and video calls.
Also Read: BT, Ericsson Wideband FDD Trial Showcase Breakthrough 5G SA Performance
Demand for Seamless Connectivity
According to the statement, the demand for faster uplink speeds is growing in importance due to the rising demand for seamless connectivity use cases engaging in real-time video communication or streaming high-quality content.
Carrier aggregation, the technique employed by BT and Nokia, plays a key role in ensuring reliability, high performance, and improved energy efficiency, as the demand for data continues to surge.
Key Role of Carrier Aggregation
5G Carrier Aggregation operates by combining multiple transmission bands into a single connection, facilitating the delivery of high-performance 5G services that customers anticipate. With each additional carrier, the capacity and speed that can be delivered to customer devices increases. In the current scenario, the 5G Carrier Aggregation is performed over a 5G SA network.
According to the statement, BT and Nokia last year announced a 5G SA 4CC CA (Carrier Aggregation) downlink. Now, they have managed to achieve a milestone by accomplishing both 5G SA 2CC CA uplink and 4CC CA downlink simultaneously.
Also Read: EE Expands 4G Network to Connect Remote Highland Locations
5G Carrier Aggregation Advantages
BT says this achievement translates into a considerable uplift in connection performance, resulting in increased throughput, capacity, and the promise of even further uplink improvements in the future.
The successful trials were conducted at BT Group's Adastral Park facility in the UK, utilizing Nokia's 5G AirScale portfolio and a device powered by Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System.
The uplink speeds exceeded 230 Mbps, while the downlink speeds recorded over 1 Gbps. The tests involved the aggregation of a wider 5G FDD carrier at 40 MHz in 2600 MHz, along with 15, 30, and 40 MHz NR2600 carriers independently aggregated with a 40 MHz NR3500 carrier component.
Also Read: Ericsson and MediaTek Reach Record 565 Mbps Uplink Speed for 5G FWA
BT Group emphasises, "The work is part of BT Group's efforts to ensure that, when 5G SA services are launched over EE, it maintains its unbeatable 5G network for customers."
Qualcomm highlighted the user-centric benefits of this achievement stating: "2CC uplink carrier aggregation is expected to improve uplink speeds by up to 2X, to give a better user experience overall."
