Qualcomm has announced its newest LTE modem for smartphones ahead of Mobile World Congress, the Snapdragon X24, which promises to reach top download speeds of up to 2Gbps. The company claims that the X24 is the first Category 20 LTE modem that can support those kinds of speeds, as well as the first 7nm process chip on the market. At top speed, it’s twice as fast as the company’s previous gigabit LTE modem, and while it’s still unlikely to see those speeds in real life — which is more of a carrier-side problem — improving the technology in devices should still lead to faster speeds overall. The Snapdragon X24 supports up to seven carrier aggregation (topping things like Samsung’s latest Exynos chipsets, which supported six carrier aggregation) and 4x4 MIMO antenna arrays on up to five aggregated LTE carriers, which allow for a theoretical maximum of 20 concurrent LTE streams. According to Qualcomm, this functionality will allow for X24-equipped … [Read more...] about Qualcomm’s new 2Gbps LTE modem is an important step toward 5G
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Qualcomm is already working with phone companies and carriers to release 5G devices in 2019
5G is still just a glimmer on the horizon, but we’re continuing to make strides toward one day actually using the next-gen network, and Qualcomm has just made another big step forward. The company announced at its 5G Day event this week that it’s already working with a variety of phone manufacturers to release devices with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G NR modems in 2019. (5G NR, or 5G New Radio, is the “real” 5G specification currently undergoing standardization at the 3GPP.) There are already 18 major companies on board — including Nokia / HMD, Sony, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, HTC, LG, Asus, ZTE, Sharp, and Fujitsu — although noticeably missing are the three largest phone manufacturers in the world: Apple, Huawei, and Samsung. Huawei doesn’t use Qualcomm’s chipsets, but Apple and Samsung both use Qualcomm modems in at least some of their devices. That said, Apple is currently undergoing a prolonged legal battle with Qualcomm, and it may … [Read more...] about Qualcomm is already working with phone companies and carriers to release 5G devices in 2019
FCC chairman Ajit Pai is opposed to a government-run 5G network
Over the weekend, Axios reported that officials within the Trump administration have been proposing the creation of a nationwide 5G network in order to protect against Chinese leadership in forthcoming networking technology. However, it seems that the unnamed senior national security officials who presented the proposal failed to talk to current FCC commissioner Ajit Pai first. Pai released a statement this morning that, in no uncertain terms, opposes the plan for a government-run 5G network: “I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network. The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades—including American leadership in 4G—is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment. What government can and should do is to push spectrum into the commercial marketplace and set rules that encourage the private sector to develop and deploy … [Read more...] about FCC chairman Ajit Pai is opposed to a government-run 5G network
Trump’s 5G proposal is destructive nonsense
Last night, Axios broke the news that officials in the Trump administration were considering a fundamental rethinking of the US telecom industry. A proposal presented by a senior National Security Council official laid out a plan for aggressive federal intervention in 5G wireless technologies, with the federal government laying its own infrastructure to be leased to carriers. The White House is already distancing itself from the proposal, along with the FCC, but it’s noteworthy that the idea was circulating at all. It’s a bold, striking proposal that cuts against the last century of US telecom policy — and it would be wildly destructive if the White House ever did follow through on it. In broad strokes, there’s a lot to like about the idea of a national telecom. If you’re concerned about the power telecoms have over the internet (which we are), a publicly owned telecom could be a huge force for the good, particularly if it brought connectivity to … [Read more...] about Trump’s 5G proposal is destructive nonsense
Everyone will be talking 5G at MWC, but don’t expect it to be sexy
5G will bring higher speeds to our phones than ever before, and it's ready and raring to go….Well, almost.The advent of 5G, the next generation of cellular technology, comes loaded with promises. It will enable smart cities, wireless streaming video in virtual reality, driverless cars and a huge leap in speed and reliability. The good news is we've seen demos proving it works. But here's the bad news: We won't see the first 5G device until later this year -- and it'll likely come in the form of a wireless hotspot "puck." Phones aren't showing up until early next year at the earliest. So why should you care about 5G now? Before 5G gets out into the wild, carriers, governments, infrastructure manufacturers, chipmakers and organizations designed to bring them all together need to do some negotiating about when and how they are going to make it happen. Mobile World Congress, happening next week in Barcelona, is where many of these conversations will take place. It's not sexy, … [Read more...] about Everyone will be talking 5G at MWC, but don’t expect it to be sexy