Everything you should know about Intel's 5G modem

Intel has announced the XMM 8160 multimode modem to provide 5G connectivity to devices like phones, PCs and broadband access gateways.

Intel said that the new modem will support peak speeds up to 6 gigabits per second, making it three to six times faster than the latest LTE modems available today. It will be available in the second half of 2019 and will deliver the features and experiences to accelerate widespread 5G adoption.

Intel's new XMM 8160 5G modem provides the ideal solution to support large volumes for scaling across multiple device categories to coincide with broad 5G deployments.

We are seeing great demand for the advanced feature set of the XMM 8160, such that we made a strategic decision to pull in the launch of this modem by half a year to deliver a leading 5G solution." Dr. Cormac Conroy, Intel corporate vice president, and general manager of the Communication and Devices Group.

According to Intel with single-chip multimode baseband capability, the Intel XMM 8160 5G modem will enable device manufacturers to design smaller and more power-efficient devices.

This can be achieved without the added complexity, power management and form factor adjustments of two separate modems for 5G and legacy connectivity, as will be introduced in early competing 5G modems.

Furthermore, the modem offers advanced technology needed to support new millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum as well as sub 6 GHz 5G NR support (including FDD and TDD bands from 600 MHz to 6 GHz) and download speeds up to 6 Gbps. The industry move to mmWave and mid-band spectrum addresses the enormous need for more bandwidth for users, devices and connected machines.

Finally, the modem is designed to scale. With worldwide carrier support, broad platform certification and broad OEM support, the Intel XMM 8160 modem deliver 5G capabilities that operators and device makers can rely on for their global deployments.