Intel Gets Serious About 5G Testing

Its 5G modem will arrive in the second half of 2017.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

February 21, 2017

1 Min Read
Intel Gets Serious About 5G Testing

Intel is getting serious about 5G testing ahead of Mobile World Congress.

Sandra Rivera, corporate VP and general manager at Intel Corp., says that the chipmaker is thinking "beyond smartphones" to the next generation of wireless communications.

"We've been investing in moving more compute capabilities to the edge of the network," says Rivera.

What this means is that Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) is delivering -- or working on -- processors that span everything from the data center to the device.

Specifically, Intel is now on its third generation of its field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) -- customizable silicon -- for 5G testing. It will show that technology off with over-the-air demonstrations with Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) in Barcelona next week.

For all the latest news on 5G, visit the 5G site here on Light Reading.

The FPGA is focused on the forthcoming 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G New Radio (NR) specification. The company is working on sub-6GHz up to 28GHz for its testbeds.

Intel says that its "Goldridge" 5G modem will start sampling in the second half of 2017. This will support the Verizon Communications fixed wireless 5G specification and what there is so far of the NR spec. (See Intel Readies Multi-Use 5G Modems to Compete With Qualcomm and AT&T & Verizon Hope for Early Arrival of a Basic 5G Spec.)

Rivera says that she expects the earliest 5G deployments to start later this year. Mobile devices will happen later in 2018.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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