Verizon reports 5.5 Gbps breakthrough
January 7, 2025

Using carrier aggregation and 5G virtualised technology, Verizon has reported that its engineers recently achieved 5.5 Gbps download speeds. That’s the equivalent of downloading 266 albums a minute or streaming 3,056 TV episodes per hour, according to Verizon
“Customers expect the gold standard from Verizon and we work every day to do even better for them,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning at Verizon. “Our goal is to provide cutting-edge solutions our customers need to thrive in today’s changing world. We will continue to push the boundaries of our technology and drive innovation in our industry so our customers know they are always a step ahead of what’s next simply by being a Verizon customer.”
Verizon, along with Samsung Electronics and MediaTek, demonstrated 5G speeds of 5.5 gigabits per second in a 5G lab environment. Using carrier aggregation, a technology that combines multiple channels of both 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 6 GHz spectrum to achieve this multi-gigabit speed in the downlink.
About this trial
This recent proof of concept was conducted in a lab and aggregated 350 MHz of PCS, 850 MHz, AWS, CBRS and C-band spectrum. Using Samsung’s virtualised RAN (vRAN) solution and MediaTek’s 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.
“We are thrilled to be part of this industry-leading achievement alongside Verizon and MediaTek, bringing increased performance and greater possibilities to consumer devices,” said Alok Shah, Vice President of Strategy, Business Development and Marketing, Networks Business, Samsung Electronics America. “As the vRAN market leader, Samsung has long been harnessing the power of virtualisation and 5G to elevate networks around the globe. 5G Standalone adds exciting potential to the mix, including enhanced scalability and flexibility, helping operators like Verizon make their network vision a reality. ”