Chipmaker Qualcomm has unveiled its first 5G millimetre wave antennas for smartphones.
Millimetre waves have the potential to deliver significant bandwidth at very low latencies, which is what is being promised with 5G.
Initially, Qualcomm’s millimetre wave package will handle wireless speeds of up to five gigabits per second. But the company says it is already working on components that could deliver even higher speeds and offer some other features as well. In its press materials Qualcomm said that realistic speeds in the first mobile devices would be more like 1.6 gigabits per second.
Reduced latency and faster speeds will obviously have a major effect on the mobile video industry.
“Today’s announcement of the first commercial 5G NR mmWave antenna modules and sub-6 GHz RF modules for smartphones and other mobile devices represents a major milestone for the mobile industry,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated.
“Qualcomm Technologies’ early investment in 5G has allowed us to deliver to the industry a working mobile mmWave solution that was previously thought unattainable, as well as a fully-integrated sub-6 GHz RF solution. Now, these type of modem-to-antenna solutions, spanning both mmWave and sub-6 spectrum bands, make mobile 5G networks and devices, especially smartphones, ready for large scale commercialisation.
“With 5G, consumers can expect gigabit-class internet speeds with unprecedented responsiveness in the palm of their hands, which stand to revolutionise the mobile experience,” Amon added.
