Airtel with Nokia, MediaTek complete trials on efficient use of TDD and FDD bands

Airtel, MediaTek, and Nokia today declared their successful completion of trials that efficiently mix TDD and FDD mid-band spectrum across time using the newest generation chipset. The testing, which intended to maximize uplink performance, was done at Airtel's tech lab and resulted in uplink speeds of 300 Mbps, setting a new record for 5G networks. It demonstrates Airtel's commitment to developing innovative solutions to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of a connected world.

The trial increased UL speeds by aggregating frequency bands of 3.5 Ghz (n78) and 2.1 Ghz (n1), a game-changing innovation that significantly improves uplink performance for demanding use cases by dynamically switching the uplink transmission across two carriers in TDD and FDD spectrum more efficiently. The unique UL Tx switching delivers quicker connectivity, a better user experience, and increased network efficiency for high-demand applications like video conferencing, live streaming, and massive file uploads.

Bharti Airtel's Chief Technology Officer, Randeep Sekhon, stated, "Continuous innovation remains the bedrock of all our product and service offerings. This trial not only demonstrates our commitment to improving our cutting-edge network architecture and providing an unparalleled 5G user experience, but it will also significantly increase our network's uplink performance, resulting in quicker data speeds and better connectivity."

Dr Ho-Chi Hwang, MediaTek's General Manager of Wireless Communication Systems and Partnerships, stated, "We are thrilled to collaborate with Bharti Airtel and Nokia on this groundbreaking trial in India, where our Dimensity 5G mobile platform played a critical role in achieving the highest uplink speeds on Airtel's 5G network." This collaboration demonstrates our dedication to provide cutting-edge technologies that improves the connectivity experience for users."

Talking further on the development, Tarun Chhabra, Country Manager and Head of Mobile Networks Business at Nokia, India, stated, "We are happy to collaborate with our long-term partner Airtel on this groundbreaking project. Uplink Tx switching will pave the path for faster 5G networks, allowing for seamless data transfer in mobile devices and increasing demand for data-intensive applications such as XR."