We are about to witness a major evolution of mobile technology in the next couple of years with 5G going to become the most anticipated next-generation mobile network. The previous generations like 3G and 4G were a breakthrough in the communications. While 3G receives a signal from the nearest phone tower for phone calls, messaging and data, 4G also works the same, but with a faster internet connection, i.e., it allows people to access data about 10 times faster than 3G.
Their successor, the next generation telecommunications standards, 5G, will allow for faster transfer of data, quicker response time by reducing latency or the amount of time taken to transfer data from device to device and also allow more devices to connect to the internet with better functionalities. Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Ericsson, and BT have already begun forming 5G partnerships and investing to research into 5G and its application. In a notable advancement, Ericsson and Nokia have even developed 5G platforms earlier last year aiming to provide the first 5G radio system and end-to-end 5G support for mobile carriers respectively.
Earlier last week on Jan 25, 2018, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) has announced “5G Pioneer Initiative” at the 2018 Qualcomm Technology Day in Beijing, China. The 5G Pioneer Initiative aims to explore ways towards mobile technology innovations in the 5G era. At the event, Qualcomm announced partnerships with six leading Chinese manufacturers by signing memorandums of understanding for sales worth at least $2 billion over 3 years. The “5G Pioneer” initiative includes Lenovo, OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, ZTE and Wingtech that have expressed their interest in working together to accelerate the availability of 5G devices in China and support China’s smartphone industry for the global opportunities.
Representatives from Lenovo Group Ltd., Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd, vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd, Xiaomi Communications Co. Ltd, ZTE Corp., and Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd, joined Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon on stage to give support to working together on this initiative. Speaking on the occasion, Cristiano Amon said, “5G will bring massive new opportunities to the mobile industry, and we are excited to work with these manufacturers on this 5G Pioneer Initiative. The president of Qualcomm further added saying, “Qualcomm Technologies has close relationships within China’s mobile and semiconductor ecosystem, and we’ll continue to work with this ecosystem to drive innovation as we move from the 3G/4G era to the 5G era.”
In a recent 5G Consumer Survey conducted by Qualcomm Technologies, it showed that 60% of Chinese consumers are likely to purchase 5G smartphones when available. This clearly indicates that Chinese mobile users are showing an unprecedented interest in 5G. This further gives a scope for innovation and development in the Chinese mobile industry and opportunities for the global mobile landscape. Through the “5G Pioneer Initiative”, Qualcomm Technologies will extend support to the Chinese manufacturers to create brand new 5G mobile phone experiences for users around the world by providing comprehensive solutions such as the radiofrequency front-end.