Swisscom Launches Europe’s First Commercial 5G Service

American mobile technology giant Qualcomm has joined force with European telecommunications provider Swisscom and a range of mobile and antenna manufacturers to deliver what it describes as Europe’s first 5G commercial services.
 
The companies are working alongside mobile device manufactures OPPO and LG and infrastructure providers Askey and WNC to marry smartphones carrying Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 with X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements, Qualcomm said today.
 
Swisscom CTO Christoph Aeschlimann said: “The future of Switzerland as an innovation hub hinges on the network and we are delighted to bring this to consumers in 2019.”
 
The collaboration is designed to “unlock transformative new experiences including near-instant access to cloud services, shopping with AR, multiplayer cloud-based gaming, real-time video collaboration and more” Qualcomm said.
 
The launch comes in anticipation of the next generation of cellular mobile communication and customer uptake of 5G enable mobile device, which are coming to market more broadly this year.
 
In-Kyung Kim, Ph.D, senior VP of 5G and network technology, mobile R&D centre at LG Electronics said: “LG’s history of working with Qualcomm Technologies to deliver the best user experience to customers is unmatched. Our global collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies in launching LTE is proof of LG’s commitment to delivering insightful innovation in the mobile space.
 
5G will represent a huge leap forward in connectivity speeds for not just mobile devices, but it will also facilitate the implementation of smart city devices such as intelligent lamp post that can measure air quality or roadside sensor that can quickly relay traffic data back to a central traffic command centre.
 
It is estimated that by the year 2024 the next generation of mobile technology, 5G, will have reached 40 percent of the world’s population, amounting to over 1.5 billion subscriptions to the service, according to Ericsson’s mobility report.
 
Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm Europe/MEA, QUALCOMM Europe, Inc. “This milestone is testament to the strong collaboration that took place across the ecosystem to accelerate 5G commercialization by one year, allowing for the arrival new and exciting user experiences.”
 
“Qualcomm Technologies is at the heart of all of this. 5G is now here in Europe, ready to fundamentally enrich how we live our lives.”

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