Qualcomm Says It Achieved World’s First 5G Data Connection

Qualcomm’s labs in San Diego demonstrated the world’s first announced 5G data connection on a Snapdragon X50 5G modem chipset for mobile devices, the company said in a Tuesday announcement. The demo achieved 1 GB speeds and a data connection in the 28 GHz band, “driving a new generation of cellular technology forward while accelerating the delivery of 5G NR enabled mobile devices to consumers,” Qualcomm said. The company previewed its first 5G “reference design” to enable the testing and “optimization” of 5G technology “within the power and form-factor constraints of a smartphone.” The Snapdragon X50 5G NR modem family is expected to support commercial launches of 5G smartphones and networks in the first half of 2019, Qualcomm said. Meanwhile, it will work with Verizon and Novatel on 5G NR mmWave technology development and over-the-air field trials, the companies said in a separate Tuesday announcement, based on the 5G NR Release-15 specifications being developed by 3rd Generation Partnership Project -- the global 5G standard. "The companies plan to work together to help move the mobile ecosystem towards faster validation and commercialization of 5G NR mmWave technologies at scale, supporting a full-scale commercial network deployment before the end of the decade," they said.