Qualcomm has introduced the first 5G New Radio solution for remote radio heads and small cells. Small cells are currently used to densify 3G and 4G networks in urban areas that are densely populated. Small cells use high-level spectrum with short range and high capacity. Now, it seems that small cells will feature heavily in the 5G infrastructure as well. The solution is called FSM100xx and it works with sub-6GHz frequencies as well as higher millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum.
Qualcomm Believes That Small Cells Will Be the Answer to Faster 5G Connectivity Rollout in the Future
The FSM100xx small cell technology will make use of Qualcomm Technologies’ proficiency in 10nm mobile technologies to enable better power consumption and performance. It will support challenging outdoor deployments and indoor scenarios.
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The small cell products will also enable network equipment manufacturers to reuse their hardware and software design across different kinds of spectrum. It will also support MIMO implementation and multi-gigabit throughput, add indoor requirements like power over Ethernet (PoE) support and compact form factor.
A software-defined modem will also be included in the FSM100xx platform, which will enable OEMs to upgrade their devices to 3GPP 5G standard releases in the future. Customers can also choose a Radio Access Network (RAN) technology according to their needs. If you want to know more about how these technologies work, you can always read up our comprehensive explanation on the matter.
Qualcomm states that small cells are expected to play a pivotal role in 5G networks. The company has already started working with early access customers with sampling expected to start in 2019. However, some OEMs want 5G-capable smartphones to be released as early as late 2018, and Qualcomm will have no choice but to comply with their requests.
Qualcomm has also teamed up with Facebook to work on high-speed connectivity that uses Facebook’s Terragraph technology. Terragraph will offer a faster and more reliable wireless broadband connection that will end up being more affordable than fiber. Facebook’s goal is to provide high-quality connectivity in urban areas to provide new opportunities to the masses.
Source: Qualcomm
