Qualcomm Expects 5G to become a Reality in 2019

Qualcomm believes 5G will become a reality as early as 2019.

Speaking during the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Hawaii this week, Cristiano Amon, executive VP of Qualcomm Technologies, said 5G will become mainstream much earlier than anticipated.

He pointed out that 5G compliant interoperability testing, in collaboration with carriers, commenced in the second half of 2017, with a number of operators across the globe already deploying 5G networks.

For 5G networks to become a reality, Amon said LTE advancements are essential.

He noted that as connectivity evolves and communications move towards 5G, an already-expansive mobile ecosystem will extend to new industries, enabling new services and powering new devices.

According to an IHS 5G economic impact study conducted earlier this year, 5G could produce up to $12 trillion in goods and services by 2035.

This evolution in connectivity builds on and extends the capabilities of LTE, enhancing mobile broadband to support immersive experiences, lowering latency for mission-critical services, and connecting the massive influx of IOT devices to come, the study notes.

In October, Qualcomm successfully achieved a 5G data connection on a 5G modem chipset for mobile devices.

According to Amon, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem chipset delivered gigabit speeds and a data connection in the 28GHz millimetre wave (mmWave) radio frequency band, driving a new generation of cellular technology forward while accelerating the delivery of 5G NR-enabled mobile devices to consumers.

Additionally, Qualcomm Technologies previewed its first 5G smartphone reference design for the testing and optimisation of 5G technologies within the power and form-factor constraints of a smartphone.

“This major milestone and our 5G smartphone reference design showcases how Qualcomm Technologies is driving 5G NR in mobile devices to enhance mobile broadband experiences for consumers around the world,” Amon said.

The 5G data connection demonstration took place in Qualcomm Technologies’ laboratories in San Diego. It achieved gigabit download speeds, using several 100MHz 5G carriers, and demonstrated a data connection in 28GHz mmWave spectrum.

Qualcomm notes 5G NR mmWave is a new frontier for mobile, now made possible through the 5G NR standard, and is expected to usher in the next generation of user experiences and significantly increase network capacity.

The International Telecommunications Union says the buzz in the industry on future steps in mobile technology – 5G – has seen a sharp increase, with attention now focused on enabling a seamlessly connected society in the 2020 timeframe, and beyond that, it brings together people along with things, data, applications, transport systems and cities in a smart networked communications environment.