Highlights:
- Qualcomm introduced its new 5G RAN chip offerings in its annual 5G Summit.
- The company designed a novel portfolio of 5G RAN to drive modern cellular networks worldwide.
- 5G Ran offerings will allow infrastructure OEMs to transform private and public wireless to deliver the full potential of 5G.
- The company is working with top-tier mobile operators in this transition to next-generation infrastructure.
Qualcomm introduced its new 5G RAN chip offerings in its annual 5G Summit. This chip will support the company’s vision for the future of 5G. Qualcomm is introducing the three new 5G RAN offerings:
- Qualcomm Radio Unit
- Qualcomm Distributed Unit
- Qualcomm Distributed Radio Unit system-on-chip platforms
These platforms are aimed at enabling and powering a modular, new, and interoperable cellular infrastructure. These new platforms are the first announced solutions purposely designed to support leading mobile operators deploying a novel generation of converged, open, and virtualized RAN (vRAN) networks. Thus, Qualcomm is expanding its 5G portfolio to virtualize networks further.
These platforms are created to facilitate infrastructure OEMs to transform private and public wireless networks into a platform to deliver the full potential of 5G.
Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm Incorporated, commented: “Our 5G expertise and global technology leadership uniquely positions Qualcomm Technologies to provide a comprehensive horizontal infrastructure platform to enable the deployment of innovative, high-performance, virtualized, and modular 5G networks at scale.” Further, he added, “We are working closely with mobile operators, network equipment vendors, standards bodies and other key stakeholders to make the deployments of these networks a reality.”
The company has its mark in more than 40 nations, and about 90 mobile operators have 5G available commercially, the company said. “That includes nine operators in two countries in the North America region. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT and amp;T all have a nationwide 5G network in the US, for example. And so, does Google Fi, because it utilizes those companies’ networks.”
With that move into the mainstream, Qualcomm commented: “Companies are exploring both Sub-6 and mmWave networks. As well as a combination of the two. But networks aren’t as efficient as they could be either and aren’t being deployed as cost-effectively or quickly as they could be. Especially where the two network technologies are combined. That’s where the company’s new solutions enter the equation.”
Qualcomm vision for 5G networks
The novel portfolio of 5G RAN platforms will allow evolving network suppliers to boost deployment and commercialization of vRAN equipment and elements that deliver the demand for 5G for private and public networks.
The three new 5G RAN offerings play an important role: providing a radio unit that stands at the cell site and a distributed unit at the front haul. Moreover, Distributed Radio Unit efficiently fills both roles. As per the company, “this will help to desegregate networking and creating more open-standards- and open-interface-driven networks.”
Significant highlights of the Qualcomm 5G RAN platforms portfolio:
- Integrated Sub-6 and mmWave solution
- Scalable support from Macro to Small Cells for a wide range of infrastructure categories
- Interoperable, flexible, and scalable interfaces
- High-performance Modem-RF for superior radio performance
- Flexible vRAN architecture allows the high performance of virtualized products with integrated hardware acceleration
Qualcomm Technologies is presently working with top-tier mobile operators in this transition to next-generation infrastructure.