Qualcomm, Ericsson make 5G call on phone-sized device

qualcomm ericsson 5G call
Image credit: Ericsson

Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson said they have successfully completed a 3GPP Rel-15-compliant 5G NR call on a mobile test device in a smartphone form factor.

The over-the-air call was performed in the Ericsson Lab in Kista, Sweden, using the 39 GHz mmWave spectrum band in NSA (Non-Standalone) mode. Ericsson’s commercial 5G NR radio AIR 5331 and baseband products served as the base station, which connected to a smartphone-sized test device with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem and RF subsystem.

The lab data call is part of ongoing interoperability development testing (IODT) between the two companies that was announced in 2017, using Ericsson’s pre-commercial 5G NR base stations and Qualcomm’s 5G NR UE prototypes.

These early trials and milestones will enable global operators and OEMs to conduct tests in the field using their own networks and devices, said Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of business area networks at Ericsson.

“We’re also making headway on commercial 5G by performing interoperability tests on new mmWave bands,” he added.

Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon highlighted the significance of integrating mmWave capability into a smartphone form factor, a key challenge in 5G device design. Amon said the demo shows Qualcomm is “on track” to bring 5G mmWave devices to consumers.

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