Qualcomm reveals major Microsoft modem deal

Qualcomm has announced it will be providing a new suite of LTE-A modems for a range of Windows 10 devices.

New notebooks, tablets and 2-in-1 devices running Windows 10 will be capable of connecting to 4G networks on operator data plans, after the silicon vendor released three new modems in the Snapdragon range: the X5, X7 and X12.

The Snapdragon X5 LTE modem supports Cat 4 LTE, capable of up to 150Mbps and 50Mbps download and upload speeds, utilising 2x10MHz Carrier Aggregation (CA).

X7 scales up to Cat 6 LTE, with 300/50Mbps download and upload by harnessing more advanced 2x20MHz CA for both TDD and FDD deployments. The X12, meanwhile, uses Cat12 LTE for downlink and Cat13 for uplink, supporting up to 600Mbps download speeds via 3x Carrier Aggregation and up to 150Mbps download through 2x CA – assuming the required LTE-A mobile infrastructure exists to support such speeds.

Qualcomm’s senior director of product management, Fram Akiki, reckons the growth of Windows 10 as a cross-platform operating system is driving a need for more devices to have mobile connectivity.

“As adoption of Windows 10 continues to grow at an exponential pace, it’s increasingly clear that users will settle for nothing less than a superior enterprise-class, mobile first experience,” he said. “The Snapdragon LTE modem family provides a range of productivity services to IT managers and mobile workforce for cloud based data, applications and analytics through a secure and reliable connection.”

Qualcomm has said that it’s already agreed to have Snapdragon built into devices manufactured by Dell HP, Lenovo and Panasonic so far, all of which running Windows 10. It will also resell Snapdragon modules via both Foxconn and Sierra Wireless, the latter saying that the benefits of global LTE-A network deployments continuing to grow will be realised with the introduction of more compatible devices.

“LTE Advanced technology is growing in importance for both consumers and business users of the more than 80 networks around the world that have upgraded to support the significantly gaster network speeds LTE Advanced provides,” said SVP of OEM Solutions at Sierra Wireless, Dan Schieler. “Using a Snapdragon X7 LTE modem, we enabling LTE Advanced on the latest version of the most popular operating system worldwide, its benefits will continue to be seen by an increasing number of people in every corner of the globe.”