Qualcomm continues to increase peak speeds for its smartphone modem chips to exceed gigabit-per-second levels — creating a roadmap to offer even faster speeds in upcoming 5G networks.
The San Diego mobile chip maker said Tuesday that it’s rolling out its second generation Snapdragon X20 LTE smartphone modem, which delivers top speeds of 1.2 gigabits per second, or close to the speeds from residential fiber optic lines.
The chip is being tested by customers and could show up in smartphones and routers early next year, although cellular operators must upgrade their networks to achieve such ultra-fast connections.
To be sure, peak speeds aren’t real-world speeds. Smartphone users would be unlikely to get that much bandwidth on individual devices. Distance from the cellular tower, other nearby smartphone users and weather are among the variables that can slow performance.
Still, connections should be faster than they are today — powering better mobile video, improved virtual reality, more Internet cloud services and faster apps.
Qualcomm believes speedy 4G LTE will be the foundation for 5G networks, which are expected to deliver speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second.
“Some of these 4G enhancements are critical for a 5G world,” said Matt Grob, Qualcomm’s chief technology officer, at a technical briefing last week. “While it is still in the 4G world, it’s kind of a bridge to 5G. It gives you experience with very-high-throughput applications and what it means to move data that fast.”
A wireless standards body is in the process of creating a common technical language for fifth generation, or 5G, wireless devices and network gear. Though the 5G hype is already starting, commercial deployments of these networks probably won’t start until 2019 at the earliest.
With its 1.2 gigabit Snapdragon X20 LTE modem, Qualcomm maintains its performance lead in 4G cellular technology. But the gap between it and competitors is narrowing.
After missing the market for 3G and earlier 4G chips, Intel has been gaining ground recently. Last year, it won a 4G modem slot in about half of Apple’s iPhone 7 models, with peak download speeds of 450 megabits per second.
Earlier this year, Intel announced its own 1 gigabit LTE radio chip. The XMM 7560 will begin testing with customers in the first half of this year and perhaps show up in smartphones late this year.
Qualcomm already has a 1 gigabit modem in the market, the Snapdragon X16. It is embedded in the company’s flagship Snapdragon 835 processor for Android smartphones, several of which are expected to be announced next week at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.
Qualcomm’s X16 also appears in a NetGear hotspot and other equipment. Australia’s Telstra Mobile upgraded its network last month to handle gigabit speeds. Mobile operators in the U.S. and elsewhere haven’t said when they will make a similar move.
But with smartphone sales slowing in the U.S. and elsewhere, cellular operators are looking for new ways to keep customers — including incentives such as the return of unlimited data.
Grob said 5G will be a new kind of network. The goal is not only to deliver faster speeds, but also power billions of connected refrigerators, thermostats, street lights, water meters and other Internet of Things devices at low cost.
5G also aims to nearly eliminate transmission delays (or latency) to enable wireless health monitoring, self-driving vehicles, beyond line-of-sight drone flights and other mission critical services.
Both Qualcomm and Intel have announced their first 5G modem chips, which will be used for early testing of 5G technology.
“Now we are in this time in-between Gs,” said Cristiano Amon, head of Qualcomm’s chip making division. “But every time we have an opportunity — and we have it once every 10 years — to bring brand new technologies, it is an opportunity to change everything in the industry.”
Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/sd-fi-qualcomm-newchip-20170221-story.html