05 March 2025

The demand for continued acceleration of enhancements on mobile networks has never been more evident.

Global mobile data traffic is expected to grow more than fourfold by 2030, reaching over 5,400 exabytes – placing a lot of pressure on mobile networks the world over. With the need for speed, capacity, and reliability heating up, innovative solutions are required.

Accordingly, in recent news, Verizon, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and MediaTek have demonstrated 5G speeds of 5.5Gbps in a 5G lab environment. Using carrier aggregation, which combines multiple channels of FDD and TDD spectrum bands to provide greater efficiency for data sessions transmitting over the wireless network, the companies combined six separate channels of sub-6GHz spectrum to achieve this multi-gigabit speed in the downlink.

This proof of concept was conducted in a lab and aggregated 350MHz of PCS, 850MHz, AWS, CBRS and C-band spectrum. Using Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) solution and MediaTek’s next-gen connectivity platform featuring 6CC technology, the trial ran 5G data through Samsung’s 5G Standalone core, and demonstrated how the next generation of devices with this evolving technology will enable new use cases and drive innovation in mobility.

Virtualization is essential in next-generation network evolution that delivers higher speeds and lower latency. Using virtualization in the RAN allows Verizon to effectively manage its network and rapidly accommodate customers’ varying needs by offering greater flexibility in resource allocation and enabling higher throughput speeds.

As pressures on mobile networks continue to mount – and amidst increasing competition and profitability concerns – making more from existing spectrum is paramount to ensure the reliable delivery of mobile connectivity, with the speeds and capacities required for all types of consumers, from business and government through to the rural consumer.