Verizon CTO Yago Tenorio: 6G needs an uplink breakthrough

Mobile networks have historically been built around download speed, with typical downlink-to-uplink ratios of 9:1 or 8:2. Verizon's CTO Yago Tenorio argues that AI could flip that assumption. In his scenario, devices would continuously send sensing, video or audio data about a user's reality to an AI agent in the cloud or network edge—a shift toward a 1:1 ratio.

The challenge is that many of these devices will be AI wearables like smart glasses, which are limited by size, power, heat dissipation and antenna count. As Tenorio put it, "You need more capacity, but the device is less capable." He pointed to techniques like sub-band full duplex but suggested a bigger rethink is needed, perhaps a full decoupling of uplink and downlink with pervasive uplink receivers closer to customers.

Carriers are already experimenting. T-Mobile is looking into decoupling as an upcoming 6G feature, and AT&T cited upstream capacity in its EchoStar spectrum acquisition. Verizon itself is testing 5G uplink improvements with Ericsson's 32T32R massive MIMO radios. Tenorio said the industry has a "precious two years" to design 6G around use cases—a window that will shape whether these approaches become standard.