Samsung and Qualcomm work to deliver industry leading 5G NR small cell infrastructure

Samsung 5G Small Cell Solution Powered by Qualcomm FSM100xx to Support 5G Infrastructure Deployments at Scale

Oct 22, 2018 | HONG KONG

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., they are working together to develop 5G small cells – opening the door for massive 5G network speed, capacity, coverage and ultra-low latency. To effectively scale 5G NR networks, the industry is expected to increasingly rely on small cells as foundational building blocks. Given the propagation characteristics of higher frequencies in sub-6 and mmWave bands that will be used in 5G NR networks, small cell solutions are designed to support delivery of uniform 5G experiences, especially indoors where most data is consumed. In order to address cost and form factor requirements for a wide range of 5G NR deployment scenarios, service providers, enterprises, factories and other stakeholders are expected to growingly depend on 5G NR small cell solutions, and on the suppliers able to deliver them. Mobile operators across the world including United States, Japan and Korea are all expected to deploy small cells as a catalyst to support 5G-class experiences.

5G networks are expected to utilize small cells to provide multi-gigabit throughputs and millisecond level latencies to enhance the wireless experience, and support a variety of new and emerging applications, such as augmented and virtual reality. In addition, 5G networks have the potential to create new opportunities, such as industrial automation with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), which rely on secure and high-speed wireless links. Harnessing 5G spectrum also provides the opportunity for multi-gigabit wireless speeds, making it ideal for fixed wireless access (FWA) applications, delivering “last-mile” broadband connectivity for homes, apartments and other venues in regions that are difficult to serve with traditional fiber or copper infrastructure.

Qualcomm® FSM™100xx 10nm 5G Solution is capable of enabling the Samsung 5G Small Cell solution to utilize both the sub-6GHz and mmWave spectrum, helping provide a next-generation wireless experience, and further establishing Qualcomm Technologies as a leader in the industry transition towards 5G. Announced in May 2018, the FSM100xx is expected to deliver superior 5G features, including MIMO baseband functionality in a compact package that is presently unrivaled in the industry. Coupled with Samsung’s leadership in 4G/5G infrastructure, Samsung’s 5G small cell solution is expected to provide mobile network operators with a superior tool capable of supporting both outdoor and indoor deployment scenarios.

“Small cells are the perfect vehicle for delivering on the potential of 5G user experiences,” said Irvind Ghai, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are extremely pleased to enable an industry-leader like Samsung to develop 5G small cell solutions and deliver on the promise of increased performance, deployment flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.”

“Together with Qualcomm Technologies, Samsung will continue to leverage its technical expertise to enhance user experiences on the path to 5G,” said Wonil Roh, Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is also committed to providing richer services and applications to serve the needs of customers through 5G small cell solutions.”

Announced today by Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated, and Woojune Kim, SVP at Samsung, at the annual Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit, the FSM100xx based Samsung 5G Small Cell solution is expected to begin sampling in 2020.