Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has started sampling the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X24 LTE modem, the world’s first announced Category 20 LTE modem supporting up to 2 gigabits per second (Gbps) download speeds, and the first-announced chip built on a leading-edge 7 nanometer FinFET process. It is the Company’s eighth generation LTE multimode modem and third generation Gigabit LTE solution, featuring the most advanced cellular features of any commercially available 4G LTE modem to date, and strengthening the LTE foundation for future 5G NR multimode devices and networks. The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem will be featured in a live demonstration at Mobile World Congress Barcelona in conjunction with Ericsson, Telstra and NETGEAR.

“As the world’s first announced Gigabit LTE modem to achieve speeds of up to 2 Gbps, the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem sets a major mobile industry milestone, designed to provide enhanced mobile broadband and deliver an extremely important gigabit coverage layer for commercial 5G networks and mobile devices that are expected to start launching in 2019,” said Serge Willenegger, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G and Industrial IOT, Qualcomm Wireless GmbH. “Further expanding on the use of 4x4 and LAA capability, the Snapdragon X24 packs a powerful array of the most advanced 4G LTE technologies commercially available, helping mobile operators to fully mobilize their spectrum assets and maximize the capacity of their Gigabit LTE networks, and mobile device makers to offer consumers a tangible glimpse of our 5G future”.

As the world’s first commercially announced Category 20 LTE modem supporting download speeds up to 2 Gbps, the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem delivers 2x the speed of the Company’s first generation Gigabit LTE modem. The Snapdragon X24 supports up to 7x carrier aggregation in the downlink, as well as 4x4 MIMO on up to five aggregated LTE carriers – both mobile industry firsts – for a total of up to 20 concurrent spatial LTE streams. This unprecedented feature set is designed to allow devices that feature the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem to utilize all spectrum assets available from a mobile operator, whether in licensed spectrum, or with License Assisted Access (LAA). Additional system capacity improvements are made possible through support of Full Dimension Multi-Input Multi-Output (FD-MIMO), a Massive MIMO technology that is foundational to future 5G NR networks. In the uplink, Snapdragon X24 supports Category 20 upload speeds, 3x20 MHz CA and up to 256-QAM.

The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem pairs with an advanced RF transceiver built in 14 nm FinFET process technology, and the Qualcomm® QET5100 Envelope Tracker, making it the first announced modem to support 60 MHz envelope tracking for up to 3x uplink carrier aggregation channels with simultaneous High Power User Equipment (HPUE) support in Band 41, engineered to deliver power-efficient connectivity for the next generation of mobile devices. Consumers will also benefit from the Snapdragon X24 modem’s support for the concurrent multi-constellation multi-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS), which is optimized to provide highly accurate location positioning required in different applications and services.

With the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem’s fiber-like Internet speeds delivered wirelessly, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can offer consumers incredible mobile experiences such as immersive 360-degree video, connected cloud computing, rich entertainment and instant apps. At the same time, operators can gain flexibility in using their spectrum assets to offer blazing fast speeds to consumers, while also improving their network capacity and maximizing spectral efficiency.

Those attending Mobile World Congress in Barcelona can experience a demonstration of the 2 Gbps speeds of the Snapdragon X24 LTE modem, in conjunction with Ericsson, NETGEAR and Telstra at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 26-March 1, Booth: Hall 3 Stand 3E10.

Ericsson

Joakim Sorelius, head of product area networks, Ericsson, says, “We’re pushing the boundaries of technology and providing unprecedented advances in LTE evolution by breaking the 2Gbps-barrier with our partners. This technology advancement will enable even higher network capacity, and hence faster mobile broadband speeds for even more people. Video streaming, interactive live concerts and sport events are putting an even greater demand on capacity and better user experience.”

Telstra

“Telstra has been at the forefront of utilizing the latest technologies to achieve faster mobile speeds and more capacity for our customers,” said Channa Seneviratne, executive director network and infrastructure engineering, Telstra. “We were the first network operator in the world to enable 1 Gbps LTE on a commercial mobile network and we are pleased to be working with Qualcomm Technologies, Ericsson and NETGEAR to leverage these network investments to develop the world’s first 2 Gbps LTE live demonstration to meet the ever-growing demand for data and speed from our customers.”

NETGEAR

“In 2017, NETGEAR and Telstra launched the world’s first commercial Gigabit LTE device and we are pleased to work with Telstra, Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson for the next generation of unparalleled mobile devices. We know our customers value faster connectivity in their mobile work environments. This latest innovation represents another significant step up in speed and features that will give customers a real taste of what’s to come with 5G like performance," said David Henry, senior vice president, connected home products, NETGEAR.

The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem has started sampling to customers with the first commercial devices expected by the end of 2018.

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