Sci-Fi is something we dream of all the time. If we ever go through the Hollywood Box Office reports of movies, seldom will we find a sci-fi not being a blockbuster. The reason behind it is that we all desire to get more and more out of science. Likewise a lot of companies also dream to make the most of technology, but very few actually have the guts to venture into such unknown quarters.
One such company that dares to create its footprint in such an unknown segment is Qualcomm (QCOM, Financial) – one of the most sought after names in the technology and networking industry. The latest voyage of Qualcomm is into 4G technology. Let us take a sneak peek into the theory of 4G and how Qualcomm is sailing to turn it into a reality.
The huge 4G theory
Historically speaking, in 1992, transmission technology first evolved from analog (1G) to digital (2G) transmission. Thereafter, in 2001, 3G transmission emerged that supported multi-media communication, video calling, spread spectrum transmission and at least 200 kbit/s peak bit rate.
The nomenclature of the fourth generation (4G) generally refers to a change in the fundamental nature of the service, non-backwards-compatible transmission technology, higher peak bit rates, new frequency bands, wider channel frequency bandwidth in Hertz and higher capacity for simultaneous data transfers (higher system spectral efficiency in bit/second/Hertz/site).
Summing it up, the aim of 4G technology is to accomplish superfast transmission system through various livelier modes of communication, thus reducing the time lag of transmission across networked devices. 4G wants to create a new communication experience which is one step closer to real time interaction.
Qualcomm’s 4G tools
Qualcomm has successfully prototyped and demonstrated the benefits of LTE Advanced at global events, including showcasing HetNets with enhanced receivers at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Conference in March this year.
As data usage in smartphones, tablets and other such devices is increasing at a robust pace and industry is preparing for the 1000x increase in data transmission rate, Qualcomm looks all set to provide a solution to the “1000x data challenge.” In June 2013, Qualcomm launched the world’s first LTE Advanced carrier to meet the 1000x mobile data challenge by creating the new 4th gen Gobi LTE carrier modem housing the Carrier Aggregation Chipset, which aids in higher rate of data transfer.
To explain carrier aggregation in simple terms, it’s like increasing the pipe-size through which data flows, thus during peak usage time the rate of data transfer is enhanced and this makes the experience of accessing high data load sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube faster.
After creation of the chipset that could increase the rate of data transfer manifold, Qualcomm required a sound system for capturing the large volume of data through multiple antenna hubs based on the MIMO concept. So, in collaboration with South Korean KT Corp (KT, Financial), they successfully created an integrated multiple receptor antenna hub powered by their own Snapdragon that would broaden the spectrum reach to licensed and unlicensed devices.
HetNet, the third component required for 4G transfer, is still in its evolution stage, under the roof of Qualcomm’s shop floor. Through HetNet data will be integrated into high density small cells where the cells will have high data density, thus producing a seamless communication without any signal breakage and would provide robust mobility.
Final word
As Qualcomm’s LTE Advanced continues to evolve, it will play a pivotal role in the future of wireless communication. This global technology is indeed going to bring in a huge revolution offering unprecedented data rates, higher capacity, and new level of user experience on the go. Research has confirmed that by 2019, 65% of the population could have 4G coverage. So, let’s stay tuned to watch Qualcomm’s forthcoming moves in the 4G technology space.
