Vodafone, Nokia, Qualcomm and Xiaomi have completed tests of a 5G software enhancement to boost data throughput for users by nearly 25%.

This could pave the way for faster download speeds as well as reduced latency and improved capacity for enterprise applications.

Engineers from the companies achieved download speeds up to 1.7Gbit/s on 3.5GHz spectrum using a Xiaomi 15 Ultra smartphone equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform and Nokia’s Habrok 64 massive MIMO radios. A technique called 1024 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) was used approximately 500m away to pack more data into a single transmission than the current system based on 256 QAM.

The 1024 QAM will help meet demand for data-heavy services such as video and music streaming which is fuelling the need for greater network capacity, especially in urban areas. For instance, traffic volumes on Vodafone’s UK network have grown 25-fold over the past ten years. Additionally, approximately 90% of all mobile data traffic across Europe uses the network downlink channel to users’ smartphones.

The technology aims to save energy by increasing data throughput without the need for additional equipment at the mobile basestation. Spectrum efficiency is also improved, which frees up more bandwidth for Vodafone to offer faster download connections to more users indoors and outdoors.

Vodafone anticipates customers will soon be able to benefit fully from the 5G enhancement, and that more device manufacturers will incorporate the technology into their products. The 5G technology was tested at Vodafone’s Ciudad Real centre in Spain, building on previous trials with other partners.

“We are looking at new ways to extract greater performance from our 5G networks to enhance the customer experience,” said Alberto Ripepi, chief network officer of Vodafone. “Securing widespread support for this latest technology at the network level and within the latest smartphones will help us achieve that aim.”

Mark Atkinson, senior vice president at Nokia, added: “This successful trial with Vodafone demonstrates the benefits of high-order modulation technology in delivering fast speeds with reduced capacity. Nokia is at the forefront of these advanced technologies that enable premium performance, support new enterprise and consumer services and deliver superior user experiences.”

The 1024 QAM technology that will assist mobile operators in managing network capacity was defined by the industry body 3GPP.

“The Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform delivers exceptional speeds and efficiency,” said Dino Flore, vice president of Qualcomm. “This advanced 5G test with Vodafone, Nokia and Xiaomi, using industry-leading mobile technologies, significantly boosts performance and enables a seamless, faster and more efficient customer experience.”

And Yongmin Huo, general manager of Xiaomi’s product technology department, said: “We are committed to unlocking the full potential of 5G through continuous innovation. Our successful collaboration with Vodafone and Nokia in pioneering 1024 QAM technology marks a major leap forward in network efficiency and speed, delivering faster, more reliable connectivity for users worldwide.”

This is seen as a timely development as network demand continues to rise. A recent study by AD Little estimated that between now and 2030, the average end user will increase their social media usage from around one to two hours per day to approximately three to four per day. And with the shift to high-definition videos now popular across many internet sites, Vodafone (www.vodafone.com), together with partners such as Nokia (www.nokia.com), Qualcomm (www.qualcomm.com) and Xiaomi (www.mi.com), plan to continue to evolve 5G to deliver these services more quickly and efficiently.

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