Qualcomm unveils world's first commercial 5G modem

Qualcomm has become the first company to announce a commercial 5G modem chipset solution as it announced on Wednesday the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem.

It is designed to support original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that are building the next generation of cellular devices, as well as aid operators with early 5G trials and deployments.

With 800 MHz bandwidth support, the Snapdragon X50 5G modem is designed to support peak download speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second.

The Snapdragon X50 5G modem will initially support operation in millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum in the 28GHz band.

It will employ Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna technology with adaptive beam forming and beam tracking techniques, which facilitates robust and sustained mobile broadband communications.

Designed to be used for multi-mode 4G/5G mobile broadband, as well as fixed wireless broadband devices, the Snapdragon X50 5G modem can be paired with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with an integrated Gigabit LTE modem.

Gigabit LTE will become an essential pillar for the 5G mobile experience, as it can provide a wide coverage layer for nascent 5G networks.

“The Snapdragon X50 5G modem heralds the arrival of 5G as operators and OEMs reach the cellular network and device testing phase,” said Cristiano Amon, executive vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“Utilising our long history of LTE and Wi-Fi leadership, we are thrilled to deliver a product that will help play a critical role in bringing 5G devices and networks to reality.  This shows that we’re not just talking about 5G, we’re truly committed to it.”

With the Snapdragon X50 5G modem, operators deploying 5G networks can now conduct lab tests, field trials and early network deployments.

Additionally, OEMs utilizing the Snapdragon X50 5G modem will have an opportunity to gain an early start in optimising their devices for the unique challenges associated with integrating spectrum.

The Snapdragon X50 5G modem in devices 5G network can yield valuable insight into the challenges of integrating emerging technologies in form-factor accurate devices. Qualcomm will utilise these insights to help accelerate the standardization and commercialization of 5G New Radio (NR), the global standard for 5G.

For consumers,the enhanced mobile broadband supported by 5G will bring unprecedented immediacy between mobile users and cloud services, enhance media consumption, improve media generation and offering even faster access to rich information.

The proliferation of 5G technology can make it more cost-effective and easier for multi-gigabit Internet service to reach more homes and businesses.

The Snapdragon X50 5G platform will include the modem, the SDR051 mmWave transceivers, and the supporting PMX50 power management chip.

The initial samples for the Snapdragon X50 5G modem are expected to begin in the second half of 2017. The first commercial products that will integrate the modem are expected to be available during the first half of 2018.