Verizon engineers have reached astonishing 5G download speeds by leveraging advanced carrier aggregation and virtualized technologies. In lab tests, they achieved an incredible download speed of 5.5 Gbps, utilizing equipment from Samsung and MediaTek. Verizon highlighted that this speed allows users to download 266 Taylor Swift albums within one minute or stream over 3,000 Hulu shows in just one hour.
As the demand for mobile networks surges due to the increasing use of video calls, streaming services, cloud gaming, and 5G-enabled factories, the need for innovative network solutions becomes ever more pressing.
The new record in 5G download speeds is a testament to what Verizon can achieve with its recently acquired C-band spectrum.
During testing, they combined 350 MHz of PCS, 850 MHz, AWS, CBRS, and C-band spectrum within Verizon's 5G lab environment. This involved sending data through Samsung's virtualized RAN and MediaTek's next-gen 6CC connectivity platform, which is also powering popular flagship devices like the Oppo Find X8 series.
To ensure both high speeds and low latency, next-gen networks will rely on virtualization technology, enabling carriers like Verizon to respond to customers' evolving needs in real time. Samsung's virtualized RAN and 5G Standalone core have proven crucial in this development, signaling that forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S series devices will benefit from this dynamic virtualization technology. The Vice President of Business Strategy at Samsung Electronics America remarked:
We are thrilled to be part of this industry-leading achievement alongside Verizon and MediaTek, bringing increased performance and greater possibilities to consumer devices. As the vRAN market leader, Samsung has long been harnessing the power of virtualization and 5G to elevate networks around the globe. 5G Standalone adds exciting potential to the mix, including enhanced scalability and flexibility, helping operators like Verizon make their network vision a reality.
By combining six separate channels of sub-6 GHz midband spectrum through efficient carrier aggregation, Verizon, Samsung, and MediaTek are poised to deliver record-setting 5.5 Gbps throughput. This promising development bodes well for upcoming devices equipped with MediaTek chipsets and those manufactured by Samsung, promising to harness the vast capabilities of Verizon's extensive network coverage in the US.
