diff --git a/spacy/cli/_util.py b/spacy/cli/_util.py
index 2b6dd330f..e90ce4cc6 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/_util.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/_util.py
@@ -188,45 +188,6 @@ def import_code(code_path: Optional[Union[Path, str]]) -> None:
             msg.fail(f"Couldn't load Python code: {code_path}", e, exits=1)
 
 
-def upload_file(src: Path, dest: Union[str, "FluidPath"]) -> None:
-    """Upload a file.
-
-    src (Path): The source path.
-    url (str): The destination URL to upload to.
-    """
-    import smart_open
-
-    # Create parent directories for local paths
-    if isinstance(dest, Path):
-        if not dest.parent.exists():
-            dest.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
-
-    dest = str(dest)
-    with smart_open.open(dest, mode="wb") as output_file:
-        with src.open(mode="rb") as input_file:
-            output_file.write(input_file.read())
-
-
-def download_file(
-    src: Union[str, "FluidPath"], dest: Path, *, force: bool = False
-) -> None:
-    """Download a file using smart_open.
-
-    url (str): The URL of the file.
-    dest (Path): The destination path.
-    force (bool): Whether to force download even if file exists.
-        If False, the download will be skipped.
-    """
-    import smart_open
-
-    if dest.exists() and not force:
-        return None
-    src = str(src)
-    with smart_open.open(src, mode="rb", compression="disable") as input_file:
-        with dest.open(mode="wb") as output_file:
-            shutil.copyfileobj(input_file, output_file)
-
-
 def ensure_pathy(path):
     """Temporary helper to prevent importing Pathy globally (which can cause
     slow and annoying Google Cloud warning)."""
diff --git a/spacy/tests/test_cli.py b/spacy/tests/test_cli.py
index a3e4650b4..14b82ffe2 100644
--- a/spacy/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/spacy/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from spacy import about
 from spacy.cli import info
 from spacy.cli._util import walk_directory
 from spacy.cli._util import parse_config_overrides, string_to_list
-from spacy.cli._util import upload_file, download_file
 from spacy.cli.debug_data import _compile_gold, _get_labels_from_model
 from spacy.cli.debug_data import _get_labels_from_spancat
 from spacy.cli.debug_data import _get_distribution, _get_kl_divergence
@@ -908,21 +907,6 @@ def test_cli_find_threshold(capsys):
                 )
 
 
-def test_upload_download_local_file():
-    with make_tempdir() as d1, make_tempdir() as d2:
-        filename = "f.txt"
-        content = "content"
-        local_file = d1 / filename
-        remote_file = d2 / filename
-        with local_file.open(mode="w") as file_:
-            file_.write(content)
-        upload_file(local_file, remote_file)
-        local_file.unlink()
-        download_file(remote_file, local_file)
-        with local_file.open(mode="r") as file_:
-            assert file_.read() == content
-
-
 def test_walk_directory():
     with make_tempdir() as d:
         files = [