1. Global Mobile Operators Select Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G Modem for Mobile 5G NR Trials in 2018

World’s First Announced Standard-Compliant Trials based on a 5G Modem Chipset for Mobile Devices, including Smartphone Form-Factors 

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm, announced that its Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 5G modem has been selected for use in live, over-the-air mobile 5G NR trials with multiple global wireless network operators in both the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum bands. AT&T, British Telecom, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, KT Corporation, LG Uplus, NTT DOCOMO, Orange, Singtel, SK Telecom, Sprint, Telstra, TIM, Verizon and Vodafone Group will conduct the trials, which will be based on the 3GPP Release 15 5G NR standard. The mobile 5G NR trials will utilize Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G mobile test platform and smartphone reference design, which incorporate the Snapdragon X50 chipset and optimize 5G technology within the power and form factor constraints of a smartphone while maintaining interoperability and coexistence with 4G LTE. The planned trials underscore the readiness of Qualcomm Technologies’ mobile 5G NR solution in a smartphone form factor and aim to commercialize standard-compliant 5G NR products and services over the coming year.

Qualcomm Technologies continues to be a leader in the mobile industry with its 5G mobile chipset products and 5G ecosystem collaborations. To illustrate this, planned demonstrations at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona will showcase the Snapdragon X50 5G modem achieving download speeds of several gigabits per second and highlight new use cases and enhanced user experiences that 5G technology will enable. In addition, Qualcomm Technologies will demonstrate 5G NR interoperability, based on the 5G NR standard, with multiple infrastructure vendors utilizing our cutting-edge prototype systems. This steady progress will culminate in live 5G NR trials with leading operators in 2018/early 2019, leading to commercial 5G NR network deployments and multimode smartphone launches anticipated in 2019.

Operator trials will start in 2018 and will utilize spectrum in the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) bands, which is critical for achieving ubiquitous coverage and enhanced network capacity.

Furthermore, in order to meet the first half of 2019 timeframe, the use of Snapdragon X50 5G modem during these mobile 5G NR trials is expected to prepare operators for the commercial network rollout of 5G, equip OEMs to deliver 5G smartphones and allow for testing and development across a wide range of use cases and deployment scenarios.

2. Global OEMs Select Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G NR Modem Family for Mobile Device Launches in 2019

Qualcomm and Mobile Device OEMs Focus on Delivering Next-Generation 5G Mobile Experiences with Low Latency, Extreme Capacity and Fiber-Like Connectivity to the Cloud 

Qualcomm Technologies also announced that its Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X50 5G NR modem family has been selected by a number of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for standard-compliant 5G NR mobile device product launches starting in 2019. Those working with Qualcomm Technologies include OEMs such as Asus, Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited, HMD Global – the home of Nokia phones, HTC, Inseego/Novatel Wireless, LG, NetComm Wireless, NETGEAR, OPPO, Sharp Corporation, Sierra Wireless, Sony Mobile, Telit, vivo, Wingtech, WNC, Xiaomi and ZTE. These OEMs are working to commercialize 5G mobile devices for the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum bands starting in 2019 based on the first commercially announced 5G modem solution, the Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem family.

Qualcomm Technologies continues to be a mobile industry leader with its 5G mobile chipset products and 5G ecosystem collaborations in support of aiming to deliver commercial 5G NR mobile devices in 2019. The arrival of 5G will expand mobile into new spectrum bands and all spectrum types, allowing for enhanced mobile broadband and increasing the overall average download speeds for virtually all smartphone users. 5G NR technologies will allow for multi-gigabit per second data rates at significantly lower latency than today’s network, amongst other capabilities. These technologies will be critical to meeting the increasing connectivity requirements for emerging consumer mobile broadband experiences such as virtual reality, augmented reality and fiber-like cloud connectivity, as well as enabling new high-reliability, low-latency services. Furthermore, for the Always Connected PC, significantly lower latency will allow for an instant link to the cloud for applications requiring real-time interactivity, such as interactive gaming, real-time audio translation, real-time text translation and real-time collaborative editing.

5G use cases include enhanced mobile broadband to smartphones; Always Connected PCs; head-mounted displays (HMD) for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR); and Mobile Broadband, all of which require constant and consistent cloud connectivity.

Expanding on each of these areas:

• 5G-enabled smartphones: With 5G, consumers will almost never again need to log on to public Wi-Fi. They will also enjoy faster browsing, faster downloads, better quality video calls, UHD and 360-degree video streaming and instant cloud access than currently available.
• Always Connected PCs: With the advent of 5G networks, “Always Connected” PCs will be able to utilize super high speed, low latency connectivity for the next level of cloud services, as well as high-quality video conferencing, interactive gaming and increased productivity due to the flexibility to work anywhere.
• HMDs: 5G enhanced mobile broadband will further elevate virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) experiences with its increased capacity at lower cost and ultra-low latency – down to 1 millisecond.

Mobile Broadband: Fiber speeds and massive capacity to support insatiable consumer demand for unlimited data, as well as superior mobile and home broadband internet access.