Ericsson and KT completed a mid-band Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) Massive MIMO trial in Korea, targeting uplink performance as a foundation for 5G Advanced and 6G evolution. The trial used Ericsson’s commercial AIR 3284 radio and focused on enhancing utilization of mid-band FDD spectrum to support AI-driven traffic patterns. The companies positioned the work as a step toward AI-RAN architectures and programmable 5G Standalone (SA) networks.
The lab results showed throughput gains of up to +95% in downlink and up to +127% in uplink compared to LTE. Coverage improvements reached up to +60% in downlink at 50 Mbps and +64% in uplink at 15 Mbps. The partners said the results validate an uplink-first network design, addressing rising demand from physical AI, sensing-heavy applications, collaborative robotics, and immersive services that require consistent low-latency uplink capacity, particularly indoors and at cell edges.
FDD Massive MIMO separates uplink and downlink spectrum while applying advanced beamforming and MU-MIMO to improve spectral efficiency and support multiple simultaneous users. Under a 6G memorandum of understanding signed in 2025, Ericsson and KT are collaborating on next-generation Massive MIMO, spectrum sharing, and AI-RAN technologies to prepare Korea’s network infrastructure for 5G Advanced and future 6G deployments.
- Mid-band FDD Massive MIMO trial conducted in Korea using AIR 3284
- Throughput gains: up to +95% DL, +127% UL vs. LTE
- Coverage gains: +60% DL at 50 Mbps; +64% UL at 15 Mbps
- Focus on uplink capacity for AI workloads and sensing-driven applications
- Supports 5G SA, network slicing, AI-RAN, and 6G roadmap
Mr. Jong-sik Lee, EVP and Head of KT’s Future Network R&D Center, stated, “FDD Massive MIMO is key to further enhance usability of mid frequency bands, which will be critical to build 6G mobile networks.”
🌐 Analysis: The trial reflects a broader industry shift toward uplink-centric design as AI-generated and sensor-driven traffic increases across enterprise and industrial use cases. Ericsson has emphasized AI-RAN and programmable spectrum strategies, while other RAN vendors are also advancing FDD Massive MIMO to extend mid-band assets without waiting for new spectrum allocations, positioning 5G Advanced as a bridge to early 6G capabilities.
