Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm claim 5G uplink speed record

Ericsson has announced that in collaboration with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies, it has achieved a 5G uplink speed of 682 Mbps on Telstra’s live commercial network in Queensland — up from 516 Mbps demonstrated in February 2025. For consumers, this uplift means large uploads complete more quickly, live streaming holds its quality more reliably, and real-time applications — including AI-enabled features — feel more responsive, particularly during busy periods.

The company says the result marks a new global 5G Standalone uplink speed milestone, enabled by ongoing optimisation of Telstra’s 5G Standalone network using Ericsson 5G Advanced Uplink Transmit Switching features. While consumer devices may not achieve these peak indoor results, users with compatible handsets in areas where these features are deployed can expect more consistent, faster and more reliable upload performance on Telstra’s network.

As demand continues to grow for upload-intensive and real-time applications, stronger uplink capability is becoming increasingly important to everyday mobile use. Improvements of this scale provide the network with the capacity required to support high-resolution video sharing, live streaming, real-time collaboration and AI-enabled applications that rely on fast, reliable data transfer to and from mobile devices.

Ericsson says this forms part of Telstra’s broader journey towards 5G Advanced, where automated, real-time network optimisation and differentiated connectivity experiences will become standard for its customers.

The demonstration used Telstra’s mid-band 5G spectrum assets, including aggregated spectrum in the 2.6 and 3.6 GHz bands, using Ericsson’s radio access network (RAN) software and Qualcomm’s mobile test platform powered by the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF. Telstra continues to work closely with OEM partners to bring this new capability to commercial devices as it is rolled out this year.

“This milestone is more than a 5G speed record; it means everyday tasks become more seamless,” said Ash Hunter, Telstra Wireless Engineering Executive. “High‑resolution videos and other large files that once took minutes to move, can now be transferred noticeably faster. It marks our 70th world-first and is a strong example of how we’re continually lifting the customer experience with 5G Advanced.”

“This result demonstrates the value of long‑term collaboration with Telstra and Qualcomm Technologies,” said Ludvig Landgren, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand. “Uplink innovation is increasingly central to the overall 5G experience, and this milestone highlights what is possible with advanced Release 17 features in commercial networks.”

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