Summary

  • Verizon achieves record-breaking upload speeds of 480Mbps with new 5G trial.
  • The record was possible thanks to partners Ericsson and Qualcomm.
  • Unfortunately, you won’t see these kinds of speeds every day as this was just a test.

There was a bit of excitement knowing that we were heading into the next phase of cellular technology when 5G was first announced. It’s been several years now since 5G first went live in the US, and while the networks have gotten stronger, it’s just become a normal part of everyday life.

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon's carrier apps shown on an Android phone's home screen.


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Of course, carriers are still working hard to make improvements to their networks in order to deliver more speed and better coverage when available. Over the past few months, T-Mobile has trounced the competition with its 5G network, leaving carriers like Verizon in the dust. Of course, Verizon isn’t one to take things sitting down, and has now shared some of its impressive accomplishments in the 5G space.

An impressive trial

Visible speed test small town outside store 4G LTE

The carrier was able to share that it recently was able to achieve upload speeds that topped out at 480Mbps. According to Verizon, this is a “record-breaking” achievement that was only possible thanks to partners Ericsson and Qualcomm. Of course, higher data transfer speeds make it possible for devices to work faster when needed. And it also opens up a new world of possibilities as well.

While all of this is impressive, you aren’t going to be seeing speeds like this out in the wild anytime soon. Verizon shares that this was just a trial, which is why those independent tests from Ookla are so important. Many carriers can set up these kinds of experiments where it really flexes the power of their networks, but it’s more vital to real-world numbers when it comes to performance.

For the most part, this is a great showcase of what 5G is capable of when under the best conditions. But it’s probably best to temper expectations for now, as we probably won’t see these speeds on our phones for quite some time. Plus, it looks like satellite communication is going to be a major focus for carriers going forward.

T-Mobile has been testing its network with its customers, and it even allowed AT&T and Verizon customers to get in on the phone. The latter carriers have been carrying out their own satellite tests as well, sharing that they were both able to make successful videocalls using the technology, which could eventually roll out to business customers.