Qualcomm’s first mmWave module will allow for easier 5G deployment

Urban and crowded indoor areas will benefit the most from this tech.

As part of the company’s continuous efforts to bring us towards a 5G future, Qualcomm recently announced that it’s launching the first-ever 5G NR mmWave module that can be used by manufacturers in smartphones, tablets, etc.

mmWave is an antenna technology that helps to support the crazy-fast data speeds that come with 5G, but up until today’s announcement, it wasn’t being used with mobile devices “due to the many technical and design challenges they [the mmWave signals] pose.”

To bring mmWave to mobile, Qualcomm’s using its QTM052 mmWave module in conjunction with its Snapdragon X50 5G modem. Commenting on this pairing, Qualcomm said:

They support advanced beam forming, beam steering, and beam tracking technologies, drastically improving the range and reliability of mmWave signals.

The use of mmWave will be most beneficial with providing 5G in urban and crowded indoor areas, and to deploy its 5G NR coverage, Qualcomm will rely on sub-6GHz bands. Although we won’t be seeing real-world uses of mmWave in the mobile space tomorrow, Qualcomm is already sampling the new modules with device makers.

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 are coming to mid-range phones this year