Samsung and Qualcomm late last week boosted 5G downlink speeds to 1024 by completing tests of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) in both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) spectrum bands. announced that it had improved by %. The former uses two different frequencies for transmitting and receiving, while TDD uses a single frequency and separates transmitting and receiving by time.
QAM is an advanced modulation technology that concerns the amount of data (in bits) that can be sent with each transmission. The higher the QAM number, the more efficient the transmission. Most commercial networks use 256QAM, but 3GPP Release 17 requires the use of 1024QAM. Samsung says, “This enhanced QAM technology will enable carriers to make the most of their spectrum resources, while mobile users need faster download speeds for things like live video streaming and online multiplayer gaming.” “You can seamlessly enjoy a variety of mobile services.”
The test was conducted at Sammy's R&D lab in South Korea using Samsung's 5G vRAN software and radios supporting 2.1 GHz (FDD) and 3.5 GHz (TDD) bands. Qualcomm's contributions include a phone form factor device powered by the chip designer's latest Snapdragon X75 5G modem. This is the modem currently used in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and should also be used in his iPhone 16 series when it launches later this year.
Samsung and Qualcomm use 1024QAM to deliver 20% faster 5G downlink speeds
Samsung and Qualcomm were able to achieve downlink data speeds of 485Mbps, 20% faster than speeds achieved using 256QAM. This speed was achieved with 20MHz bandwidth, but carrier aggregation can be used to generate higher throughput. Last year, Samsung and Qualcomm became the first to achieve simultaneous carrier aggregation of 5G 2x uplinks and 4x downlinks in the FDD spectrum. Carrier aggregation increases data transfer speeds and increases downlink and uplink speeds.
To understand carrier aggregation, think about how fast traffic moves on a single-lane highway. Adding a second lane allows the highway to accommodate more traffic and allow it to travel faster.
“We are honored to collaborate with Samsung on this industry-first,” said Sunil Patil, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies. It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting the… By leveraging advanced QAM technology, we enable carriers to maximize their spectrum resources and provide seamless high-speed mobile services to their 5G users. ”
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