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Qualcomm Helps Accelerate 5G Revolution with New X55 5G Modem

The groundwork for the 5G networking revolution is firmly in place, even if phones are not yet available to bring users onboard. That foundation just got a little stronger with Qualcomm’s announcement of its Snapdragon X55 5G modem, which is designed for global 5G rollouts and offers support for all major frequency bands.

The second-generation 5G New Radio (NR) modem builds on the company’s previous release, the X50 modem, which enables connectivity to 5G networks only, requiring phone developers to include another modem for connecting to 4G, 3G and 2G networks. The X55 connects to all the networks through one 7-nanometer chip, offering download speeds of up to 7 Gbps and uploads of up to 3 Gbps. The device also supports up to 2.5 Gbps LTE download speeds for Category 22 LTE.

5G is set to change the face of technology and will be a major force in the global adoption of web-scale networking. Qualcomm’s chip represents a significant move forward in the 5G evolution, supporting dynamic spectrum sharing between 4G and 5G. This lets mobile operators speed up their 5G deployments by using existing 4G spectrum holdings to deliver both 4G and 5G services. Qualcomm believes these capabilities will be an integral part of the global 5G rollout.

“With significant evolution in capabilities and performance, our second generation commercial 5G modem is a true testament to the maturity and leadership of our 5G technology,” said Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm, Inc. “We expect our 5G platform to accelerate 5G commercial momentum and power virtually all 5G launches in 2019 while significantly expanding the global 5G rollout footprint.”

Qualcomm has also announced its 5G mmWave antenna module in tandem with the Snapdragon X55. The single-chip 14nm RF transceiver is designed for 5G sub-6 GHz and LTE and may be used in conjunction with sub-6 GHz RF front-end modules as a modem-to-antenna solution, enabling device manufacturers to roll out new 5G offerings quickly and globally.

Additional features of the Snapdragon X55 include support for 100 MHz envelope tracking technology and adaptive antenna tuning for 5G sub-6 GHz. This enables power-efficient connectivity of smart phones and mobile devices as well as fiber-comparable browsing speeds with low latency. The new breed of 5G devices will deliver truly web-scale networking features, with applications like responsive MPG, immersive 360-degree video, instant applications and connected cloud computing.

The company expects the X55 to show up in a variety of devices later this year, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, fixed wireless devices and connected cars.

Web-scale Networking

The idea of Web-scale IT is more than just another 'hot' buzzword or problematic disruption. What started with data center operators has become mainstream thinking in large enterprises, and it's now driving changes in service provider operations, as well. Web-scale tools that allow application development to move quickly have also created some challenges for service provider networks.