Mobile World Congress: Intel Ushers In 5G With New SoCs, Modems

Intel on Monday unveiled a bevy of connectivity solutions designed for fifth-generation networks (5G), the next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards beyond the current 4G standards.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company took the wraps off new modems and system on chips (SoCs) designed for 5G commercial applications across a diverse spectrum, from connected cars and wearables to smart buildings, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

’As we bring devices onto the network, we need to re-condition the network—and transform it so it will be faster, smarter, and more efficient,’ said Aicha Evans, corporate vice president of Intel’s Platform Engineering Group.

[Related: 20 Rumored Products On The Verge Of Unveiling At Mobile World Congress]

The solutions include products like Intel Atom x3-M7272, which is optimized for mobile high-streaming devices, or Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices like wearables requiring high bandwidth. On the other end of the spectrum is the XMM 7115, which is utilized for narrowband-IoT low-bitrate (up to 150 kilobits per second) requirements for smart buildings.

Intel also announced the XMM 7480, the next-generation modem for smartphone, tablet and PC LTE connectivity. This modem can support over 33 LTE bands simultaneously and boasts 15 percent less power consumption than its predecessor, the XMM 7360.

In addition, the XMM 7480 touts enhanced voice service, enhanced dual-SIM and dual standby, and 3.5 GHz spectrum band support.

While last year’s Mobile World Congress highlighted the standardization of 5G, this year’s conference is focusing on the next big step for the wireless standard—commercialization.

Intel has announced collaborations with several companies on 5G in the past, such as Ericsson and SK Telecom. These companies are showing early demonstrations of their 5G networks and solutions during the conference.

Solution providers, for their part, view 5G as a standard that will have a profound impact on both consumer and enterprise markets, though 5G platforms and solutions have not yet been commercialized, and experts suggest a 5G release date around 2020.

’I’d suggest the impact of 5G on the consumer, the enterprise, and the ecosystem of organizations that support them, is fascinating and as of yet not fully comprehended,’ said Douglas Grosfield, founder and CEO of Five Nines IT Solutions, a Kitchener, Ontario-based strategic service provider.

’Wireless spectrum is, and has always been, a primary challenge in mobile computing and communications networks, and 5G will require significant optimization. There are many industry pioneers pushing their [research and development] budgets hard, creating solutions to address ensuring the inevitable rollout of 5G is successful.’

Moving forward, Evans stressed that Intel will continue investing heavily in 5G through collaboration with industry leaders, developing 5G prototypes and creating end-to-end solutions.

Investing in 5G is critical for Intel as the company largely missed the mark with 4G and LTE solutions, while rival Qualcomm has made widespread deployments in these areas.

’I feel like Intel is on orders of magnitude farther along on 5G than they were on LTE,’ said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal Analyst of Moor Insights & Strategy, a leading tech analyst firm based in Austin, Tex. ’The elephant in the room is that Intel doesn’t have any widespread deployments in 4G or LTE, and these prior standards are important and relevant. Intel has recognized this and has embarked on getting on the standards board and making relationships with a lot of the key telecos.’