Top 5G Modem Chipsets for 5G FWA and MiFi
5G wireless service deployment has been on a fast track worldwide since the year 2020, even with the context of Covid-19 virus outbreak. Thanks to the 10x higher wireless internet speed, 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) provides a highly viable alternative to Fiber, Cable and xDSL, enabling network operators a way to deliver ultra-high-speed broadband to suburban and rural areas, supporting home and business applications where physical cabling is prohibitively expensive to lay and maintain. And 5G Mobile Hotspot (MiFi) devices allow one or many users ultra-fast internet access by converting 5G broadband to local Wi-Fi. These are useful for anytime you’re out and about, such as family trips and friends gathering, providing in-vehicle internet or working abroad.
No matter 5G FWA or MiFi devices, a 5G modem or chipset is the cornerstone of providing internet access through 5G network.
So, here comes the question, what are the major 5G modem / chipset manufacturers and solutions in the industry? Here we list the top 5G modems which are used in FWA and MiFi devices.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem
The Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 5G Modem-RF System is a comprehensive modem-to-antenna solution designed to allow OEMs to build 5G multimode devices for a new era of connected experience.
The Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System supports virtually any combination of spectrum bands and/or modes: 5G mmWave and sub-6 GHz, standalone and non-standalone modes, TDD and FDD, spectrum sharing, LTE and legacy modes (3G, 2G). This is designed to enable OEMs to bring blazing fast connected devices to global networks in nearly any form factor.
Click here for more information and specification:
Overview | Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System | Complete 5G Solution | Qualcomm
Reference 5G CPE models based on Qualcomm SDX55 in the market: ZTE Indoor 5G CPE MC801A, Hocell Outdoor 5G CPE IM710/710G, Hocell Indoor 5G CPE M110
- Huawei Balong 5000
Balong 5000 is an industry-leading 5G multimode chipset that supports 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, while also leading the way in terms of 5G peak download rates, achieving 4.6 Gbps in Sub-6 GHz frequency bands. Balong 5000 is also capable of reaching 6.5 Gbps over mmWave frequency bands, rising to 7.5 Gbps in plus LTE dual connection scenarios — 10 times faster than today's top 4G LTE speeds. In addition, it is the world's first chipset to support both standalone (SA, 5G independent networking) and non-standalone (NSA, 5G network deployment on the basis of LTE) networking modes, providing a hardware foundation for enriching 5G application scenarios, and leading the way in the 5G era.
Click here for more information and specification: Balong 5000 (hisilicon.com)
Reference 5G CPE models based on UNISOC IVY510 in the market: HUAWEI 5G CPE Pro 2, HUAWEI 5G CPE Pro
- UNISOC IVY510
UNISOC IVY510 is the first 5G Modem of UNISOC based on the MAKALU technology platform, produced with TSMC’s 12nm process. As the first 2G/3G/4G/5G multimode platform of UNISOC, IVY510 complies to the latest 3GPP R15 standard, and supports Sub-6GHz 5G spectrum with a channel bandwidth of 100MHz, which is a highly integrated, high performance, low power 5G platform, supports both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network configurations to meet communication and networking requirements during different stages of 5G deployment.
As a primary application for 5G, UNISOC IVY510 can provide users with a premium experience for high data-rate mobile broadband services such as AR/VR, 4K/8K HD video streaming, online games, and so on. With its flexibility, IVY510 can be used in a wide range of 5G devices, including but not limited to smart phones, residential CPEs, MiFi, and 5G IoT devices. The latter is especially critical in helping promote 5G technology in the vast number of vertical applications.
Reference 5G CPE models based on UNISOC IVY510 in the market: Hocell Outdoor 5G CPE IM730/730G, Hocell Indoor 5G CPE M131
- MediaTek T750
The T750 is a highly integrated, 7nm compact chipset design with an integrated 5G radio and quad-core Arm CPU. It’s full-featured with all the essential functions and peripherals for device makers to build high performance CPE products, such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) routers and mobile hotspots (MiFi), in the smallest form factors possible.
The MediaTek T750 platform is a comprehensive chipset including the MT6890 5G-integrated SoC, MT6190 12nm Transceiver, ET, RFFE, GNSS and PMICs. This highly integrated platform uses considerably fewer components versus competitor solutions, giving product designers the smallest size and the lowest power consumption.
Click here for more information and specification: MediaTek | MediaTek T750
Reference 5G CPE models based on MediaTek T750 in the market: not available up to now (Jan. 2021), but surely it will come out soon.
