Samsung has just unveiled its first downward compatible 5G modem that meets all the latest standards hitting 6Gbps mmWave speed, called Exynos Modem.
The Exynos modem 5100 was built using Samsung’s 10-nanometer process which resonates with the latest 3GPP release 15 specs for sub-6GHZ and mmWave 5G spectrums.
Its downward compatibility makes for easy and flexible usage as it can accommodate 2G, 3G, LTE and advanced 4G networks. Samsung believes that the invention of Exynos modem will facilitate 5G adoption, faster development and commercialization as China and the US have invested a lot already in the research of 5G standards.
Meanwhile, a telecommunications company, MTN, has successfully tested a deployment of 5G network in data calling using prototype handsets and 5G base stations in South Africa. The prime 5G trial which took place in South Africa happened to be the first of its kind in Africa and was said to achieve over 20Gbit/s using 800MHZ of spectrum in the 15GHZ band.
3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is a body that sets standards and specification for telecoms network deployment, in other words, they approve equipment for 2G…5G and future generation (G). Samsung’s Exynos modem 5100 is the first to conform fully to the 3GPP spec.
Also Qualcomm, the snapdragon battery maker launched its X50 modem in 2016 with a promised release by early 2018 but yet to finalize the 3GPP spec. Nevertheless, chips from Samsung and Qualcomm indicate that Smartphones are ready to implement 5G network sooner than later.
