The world depends on fast, reliable connectivity now more than ever. 5G networks have become a vital part of our connected future, and we’ve spent years inventing the 5G breakthroughs that are taking on some of the world’s biggest challenges. 5G isn’t just evolutionary, it’s revolutionary.
When 5G is running on millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies, connectivity speeds hit the stratosphere. But speed does not mean anything if you cannot get real benefits from it, which is where the Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System comes in. Our modem-RF systems are the first of their kind for commercial 5G devices and are giving users around the world unprecedented access to revolutionary connectivity.
In this blog post, we’ll explore recent results from Ookla®, based on consumer-initiated tests that measured the real-world connectivity performance of a variety of devices in China, Germany, and the United States. Here is a look at the results from tests taken with Speedtest®.
mmWave unleashes 5G’s full potential
5G mmWave opens new possibilities for operators, manufacturers, and consumers. We’re proud to drive mobile 5G mmWave commercialization across the globe — a feat considered impossible not too long ago. Today, mmWave is seeing strong global adoption within the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. And we anticipate this to extend to South Korea, Germany, and the U.K. It’s also expected that China will deploy mmWave for the Winter Olympics in 2022.
Our 5G mmWave solutions are changing the meaning of “fast” and bringing premium experiences to users. When 5G runs on Sub-6 GHz frequencies, 5G is more than 2 times faster than 4G LTE in the U.S.1 This is great, but to realize the full potential of 5G, you need 5G mmWave. 5G mmWave is 38x faster than 4G LTE in the U.S.2 – yes, you read that right, 38 times faster than 4G LTE.
From the moment people wake up and connect using 5G fixed wireless access at home… to the crowded train station where they can seamlessly join a video conference…to a trade show, in which sending emails and downloading big presentations is no longer an issue…to the shopping spree at the mall… and, at the end of the day, enjoying an event in a stadium or concert venue, where connecting to social media or joining group calls is frictionless and dependable. This is the world made possible by 5G mmWave.
We’re now in our 4th generation of mmWave products, whereas we’ve yet to see a commercial mmWave smartphone from our competitors. Virtually every Commercially available mmWave-enabled devices are is powered by Snapdragon.
Enabling best-in-class connectivity in 5G Sub-6 GHz
Not only are we leading the way in mmWave, we’re also a leader in 5G Sub-6 GHz, and across other cellular technologies thanks to our comprehensive modem-to-antenna solution, which provides cutting-edge connectivity.
In Germany, the EU’s largest economy, 5G could mean €182 billion in GDP and 4.6 million jobs. According to analysis by Ookla, the fastest 5G-capable device in Germany is powered by Snapdragon3. The results from tests taken with Speedtest have shown similar performance elsewhere. For instance, the fastest 5G device in China is also powered by Snapdragon4.
The best of 5G is yet to come – watch for Snapdragon 5G modems to lead the way
Just because we’ve hit groundbreaking connectivity speeds and are leading the development of 5G networks doesn’t mean we’re resting on our laurels. We’re continuing to drive and innovate across Sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G networks in pursuit of unleashing the massive benefits of next-generation networks. Our Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System and Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF System are the first of their kind to reach up to 10 Gbps and the world’s first 3GPP Release 16 modem-to-antenna solution. I’m looking forward to sharing the results from commercial devices powered by Snapdragon X65 and Snapdragon X62 in real-world circumstances.
1. Based on analysis by Qualcomm of Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data top U.S providers comparing 5G median mmWave download speeds to LTE results for Q1 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. 2. Based on analysis by Qualcomm of Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data top U.S providers comparing 5G median mmWave download speeds to LTE results for Q1 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. 3. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data median download speed in Germany for Q1 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. 4. Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 5G median download speed in China for Q1 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission. Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Ookla, Speedtest and Speedtest Intelligence trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.
