Bringing new opportunities with 5G spectrum sharing.

Spectrum is the lifeblood for wireless communication—and ensuring that 5G makes the best use of all spectrum types is essential to broad and rapid 5G proliferation. Building upon the spectrum sharing technologies we pioneered with LTE, Qualcomm is creating opportunities for new innovations with 5G NR to take spectrum sharing to the next level.

Download the 5G spectrum sharing presentation

Spectrum sharing provides critical benefits for 5G.

Access to shared and unlicensed spectrum will extend 5G in multiple dimensions such as providing more capacity, higher spectrum utilization, and new deployment scenarios. It will benefit mobile operators with licensed spectrum, but also create opportunities for those without licensed spectrum to take advantage of 5G technologies. 

Spectrum sharing is valuable for a wide range of deployments.

Licensed spectrum aggregation

Enhanced mobile broadband with higher speeds and better user experiences.

Enhanced local broadband

Neutral host networks in venues and neighborhood networks.

Private 5G networks

For local and customized industrial IoT and enterprise services.

Qualcomm pioneered spectrum sharing technologies in LTE.

From conducting the world’s first over-the-air LAA trial, to demonstrating fair co-existence with Wi-Fi, to being founding members of the MulteFire Alliance and the CBRS Alliance, our early R&D work on spectrum sharing has driven the industry forward.

Read about wireless innovation from LTE-U to 5G

LTE-U / LAA

Aggregating licensed and unlicensed spectrum for faster data rates. 

MulteFire

Bringing new opportunities by operating solely in unlicensed spectrum.

CBRS and LSA

Opening up spectrum still being used by existing incumbents through spectrum sharing.

LWA (LTE + Wi-Fi)

Allowing mobile operators to fully manage carrier Wi-Fi resources through the LTE anchor.

Making spectrum sharing a commercial reality to globalize Gigabit LTE.

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Gigabit LTE modems made LTE-U/LAA technology a commercial reality. And while it is possible to achieve Gigabit speeds with licensed spectrum, LAA reduces the amount of licensed spectrum needed to as little as 10 MHz—enabling more global operators to deliver Gigabit LTE services.

Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

5G CoMP for Spectrum Sharing

Mar 19, 2019

7:25

Taking spectrum sharing to the next level with 5G NR.

We are extending the LAA and MulteFire technologies we pioneered with LTE to 5G NR for operation in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) while we explore new, revolutionary 5G NR Spectrum Sharing (NR-SS) paradigms that make use of the 5G NR flexible framework. 

5G NR is designed to natively support all spectrum types across a wide range of spectrum bands.

3GPP has already begun work to introduce shared and unlicensed spectrum in 5G NR.

Opportunity for new 5G NR spectrum sharing paradigms to deliver significant benefits.

The latest

OnQ Blog

May 20, 2019

The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/private networks/vertical uses
The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/priv....
The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/priv....
The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/private networ....
The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/private networks/vertical uses
The new 6 GHz band: An opportunity to enable 5G for new industrial IOT/private networks/vertical uses

OnQ Blog

Jun 8, 2018

Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G
Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G
Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G
Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G
Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G
Important bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to make more spectrum available for 5G

Press Release

Aug 28, 2017

Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggregation...
Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggregation...
Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggregation...
Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggregation...
Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggreg....
Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm and Federated Wireless Team up to Showcase First End-to-end Band 48 CBRS Carrier Aggreg....

OnQ Blog

Aug 16, 2017

Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning small cells to mobile
Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning sm....
Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning sm....
Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning small cells ....
Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning small cells to mobile
Taking 3.5 GHz CBRS from spec to product with chipset solutions spanning small cells to mobile

Videos

Webinar: New Business Opportunities for 5G NR

Apr 26, 2019

1:01:39

5G CoMP for Spectrum Sharing

Mar 19, 2019

7:25

5G NR Spectrum Sharing

Nov 29, 2018

2:33

How can CoMP extend 5G NR to high capacity and ultra-reliable communications

Sep 21, 2018

1:00:30

Unlicensed Spectrum

May 14, 2018

0:43

Making the best use of unlicensed spectrum

May 19, 2015

2:40

Extending LTE Advanced to Unlicensed Spectrum

May 14, 2018

2:46

LTE Advanced in Unlicensed Spectrum

Feb 18, 2015

2:35

Webinar: What can we do with 5G NR Spectrum Sharing that isn’t possible today?

May 14, 2018

1:02:46

New 3GPP effort on NR in unlicensed spectrum expands 5G to new areas

May 9, 2017

58:42

Webinar: Best Use of Unlicensed Spectrum

Feb 26, 2015

1:01:30

Progress on Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) and Its Relationship to LTE-U and MulteFire

May 14, 2018

59:55

Documents to download

New Business Opportunities for 5G NR
Nov 19, 2018
How CoMP can extend 5G NR to high capacity and ultra-reliable communications
Jul 16, 2018
Making the Best Use of Unlicensed Spectrum
Feb 24, 2015
Deutsche Telekom Webinar
Mar 17, 2016
Wi-Fi/LTE-U Coexistence and the User Experience - SRG at CTIA 2015
Sep 9, 2015
Whitepaper: Making the best use of unlicensed spectrum
May 19, 2015
The Prospect of LTE and Wi-Fi Sharing Unlicensed Spectrum - SRG Whitepaper
Aug 13, 2015

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