Actualité
Vodafone tests 6GHz 5G in a standard smartphone at 2.5Gbps
A Vodafone trial in Hannover used MediaTek’s M90 modem and a 200MHz channel, putting Europe’s upper 6GHz spectrum debate into a handset-sized test.
Vodafone says it has completed a world-first 6GHz mobile network test using a standard smartphone form factor, reaching download speeds of 2.5Gbps. The trial, detailed in the company’s 28 July 2026 newsroom announcement, used MediaTek’s commercially available M90 modem and a 200MHz channel in Hannover, Germany.
The announcement matters because the result was produced with handset-sized equipment rather than a large laboratory test box. Vodafone is using it to argue that Europe’s upper 6GHz band should remain available for mobile services as networks prepare for heavier data demand from smartphones, artificial intelligence applications, wearables and connected vehicles.
What Vodafone tested
The test combined 5G carrier aggregation with 200MHz of spectrum. Carrier aggregation joins multiple frequency blocks into a single connection, allowing the network to move more data between the cell site and the device. Vodafone recorded a peak downlink speed of 2.5Gbps, which the company compares with the capacity needed to support 500 smart glasses viewing video at the same time.
Vodafone also compared 200MHz and 100MHz channels in indoor and outdoor locations. Its engineers reported up to twice the mobile data throughput with the wider channel while using the same amount of power. That result is relevant to operators because additional capacity does not automatically help if it requires a proportional increase in energy consumption or radio equipment.
The trial also examined the uplink, the direction used when a phone sends photos, video, files or other data to the network. Vodafone reported upload speeds between 50Mbps and 180Mbps in public indoor locations, even when most available radio resources were assigned to downloads. The company connects this capability to increasingly data-heavy applications, including social media uploads and cloud-based AI services.
Why the upper 6GHz band is being debated
Vodafone estimates that 200MHz channels could deliver more than a 40% improvement in capacity cost compared with 100MHz channels because of radio efficiencies. That figure is a Vodafone estimate from its own testing and should not be treated as an independent industry benchmark. It nevertheless explains why operators are lobbying for wider mobile spectrum allocations.
The company distinguishes the upper 6GHz band from the lower part of the range, which it says is already allocated to Wi-Fi. Vodafone’s position is that reserving the upper band for mobile use would give European networks room to handle future demand without relying solely on denser deployments or additional infrastructure.
That demand is not limited to faster phone downloads. Vodafone points to smart glasses, connected cars and personal digital agents as services that could require both substantial downlink capacity and a dependable uplink. It also lists smart transport, remote healthcare and climate-management systems as examples of services that may depend on resilient wide-area connectivity.
What the test does and does not show
The use of a standard smartphone form factor makes the result more relevant to mobile devices than a test conducted only with fixed equipment. However, Vodafone has not announced a consumer handset, commercial tariff or public service launch based on this trial. The announcement is a network and spectrum demonstration, not evidence that current phones will automatically connect to 6GHz mobile networks.
Commercial deployment would require compatible radio hardware, operator network upgrades, regulatory approval and spectrum decisions. It would also depend on how handset makers balance antenna design, heat, battery use and support for other frequency bands. A successful laboratory or field test therefore shows a possible technical path, rather than a timetable for customer availability.
A link to Europe’s 6G roadmap
Vodafone places the trial within the evolution from advanced 5G to 6G. The company says global standards work led by 3GPP is targeting improved spectrum and energy efficiency, alongside new software capabilities from 2030, using channels of at least 200MHz. That would be twice the maximum 100MHz channel size originally specified for 5G.
The final outcome will depend on policy as much as engineering. Vodafone says a recent letter from 12 European mobile operators called for full access to the upper 6GHz band, while the Radio Spectrum Policy Group is expected to issue an opinion on the band’s long-term use. That decision could influence how quickly European operators can expand capacity for future smartphone and connected-device services.
For users, the immediate takeaway is not a new speed test to replicate at home. It is that wider mobile channels are becoming part of the infrastructure debate behind future app experiences. Vodafone’s Hannover trial suggests that 200MHz 6GHz operation can work with smartphone-sized equipment, but the next steps remain spectrum policy, ecosystem support and independent validation of the company’s claims.