Vodafone Germany adds 5G CA uploads up to 200Mb/s

TL;DR: Vodafone said it deployed 5G carrier aggregation (CA) in Germany to support peak upload speeds of 200Mb/s. The operator said tests in Hanover, Germany, and Ciudad Real, Spain, reached 273Mb/s. The feature is currently available only on Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra smartphones.

Vodafone said it deployed 5G carrier aggregation (CA) in Germany to increase upload speeds, with peak uploads of 200Mb/s. Carrier aggregation combines multiple spectrum channels to raise data throughput on a mobile network. Vodafone said the work responds to rising demand for uplink capacity as AI-related services increase data sent from devices to the network.

Vodafone said it is using Tx Switching, an antenna-control feature in 5G NR that allows several transmission channels to be used when connecting to smartphones. The operator said it is using two transmission modes, including one that uses MIMO, or multiple-input multiple-output antenna technology, to improve signal performance indoors or in crowded areas.

Vodafone said the 5G upload feature in Germany is currently available only to customers using Xiaomi 15 Ultra or Xiaomi 17 Ultra smartphones. The operator said it is working to expand support to more vendors and devices. Vodafone added that the 200Mb/s figure is a peak rate and that real-world performance may vary, while tests in Hanover and Ciudad Real reached 273Mb/s.

Related questions

• What upload speed did Vodafone say its 5G CA deployment in Germany can reach?
• Which smartphones currently support Vodafone Germany's 5G upload feature?
• What technologies did Vodafone say it is using for the Germany deployment?