Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has announced that the Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company, SoftBank Corp., has launched its 5G millimeter (mmWave) service in Japan – using devices based on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 5G Mobile Platforms and Modem-RF Systems. The chipmaker noted that 5G mmWave will allow Japanese users to enjoy the fastest possible multi-Gigabit download speeds in the country.
SoftBank is making the “Pocket WiFi 5G A004ZT” 5G mmWave mobile hotspot available for sale along with the launch. All initial 5G mmWave-compatible mobile devices, including soon-to-be-announced 5G smartphones in SoftBank’s portfolio, are expected to be powered by Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G mmWave products.
To address the massive increase in mobile data demand, the deployment of 5G mmWave is critical. SoftBank can take advantage of a large number of spectrum resources available in higher bands and unleash the full potential of 5G through 5G mmWave.
In dense urban environments or fixed wireless access and enterprise environments, the increasing demand for data can be met in a cost-effective way for mobile operators through 5G mmWave– “with savings up to 35% in the total cost of ownership compared to the sole use of sub-6 GHz bands”.
“5G mmWave is critical for mobile operators to stay competitive and to realize the full potential of 5G to transform many industries,” said Francesco Grilli, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, according to Qualcomm’s official website. “Japan is at the forefront in deploying the most advanced 5G technologies such as mmWave, and we are honored by working with SoftBank to bring the fastest mobile experiences to Japanese consumers and businesses.”
“SoftBank is pleased to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and use its leading 5G mmWave technology to offer world-class 5G service to our subscribers,” said Keigo Sugano, senior vice president, head of product division, SoftBank Corp. “We look forward to continuing our long-standing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies to support Japan’s growth and leadership using the most advanced wireless innovations.”
This announcement follows the Japanese Company’s commercial launch, in March 2020, of the 5G Sub-6 GHz service with smartphones powered by Snapdragon 5G Mobile Platforms.
