Road to 5G: Intel Debuts 5G Radio Modems and Extends LTE Roadmap

Intel has announced substantial advancements in its wireless product roadmap to accelerate the adoption of 5G in the telecom space.

Highlights include the introduction of the Intel® XMM™ 8000 series, Intel’s first family of 5G new radio (5G NR) multi-mode commercial modems, and Intel’s latest LTE modem, the Intel® XMM™ 7660.

Intel also announced it has successfully completed a full end-to-end 5G call based on its early 5G silicon, the Intel® 5G Modem – a key milestone in its development. Finally, the Intel® XMM™ 7560 modem unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2017 has achieved gigabit-class speeds.

“Intel is committed to delivering leading 5G multi-mode modem technology and making sure the transition to 5G is smooth,” said Dr. Cormac Conroy, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Communication and Devices Group. “Our investments in a full portfolio of modem technologies and products are critical to achieving the vision of seamless 5G connectivity.”

5G is more than the device, it requires a cloud-ready, virtualized 5G network. Intel is unique in bringing the network, cloud and clients together in a powerful end-to-end 5G solution.

“Today’s wireless networks are the equivalent of data driving down a single-lane highway; tomorrow’s will need to serve as a multilane superhighway as data moves at warp speed with 5G networks,” said Sandra Rivera, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Network Platforms Group. “Our roadmap progress shows how Intel is moving at gigabit speeds to help the industry create this superhighway and benefit from the speed, capacity and low latency that 5G promises.”

A summary of Intel’s wireless roadmap updates includes:

•Intel XMM 8000 series: Intel’s family of commercial 5G multi-mode modems, operating in both sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave global spectrum bands. The series will enable a range of devices to connect to 5G networks – from PCs and phones to fixed wireless consumer premise equipment (CPE) and even vehicles.
•Intel® XMM™ 8060: Intel’s first commercial 5G modem is capable of delivering multi-mode support for the full 5G non-standalone and standalone NR, as well as various 2G, 3G (including CDMA) and 4G legacy modes. Expected to ship in commercial customer devices in mid-2019, the Intel XMM 8060 will accelerate deployment of 5G-ready devices prior to anticipated broad deployment of 5G networks in 2020.
•Intel XMM 7660: Intel’s latest LTE modem delivers Cat-19 capabilities and supports speeds up to 1.6 gigabits per second. This powerful LTE modem features advanced multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), carrier aggregation and a broad range of band support. It will ship in commercial devices in 2019.

Additionally, Intel is helping set the pace for the industry with the Intel® 5G Modem. Announced at CES 2017, Intel’s early 5G silicon is successfully making calls over the 28GHz band.

Along with the Intel® Mobile Trial Platform, Intel technology is at the heart of dozens of trials around the world, giving Intel and the industry valuable learnings about the technologies that will make 5G a reality.

Wi-Fi will play an increasingly important role for mobile networks as we move to 5G. Intel will continue its Wi-Fi leadership by commercializing gigabit Wi-Fi soon and plan to deliver the next generation of Wi-Fi, 802.11ax starting in 2018.