Samsung and Qualcomm Enhance 5G Downlinks with 1024 QAM

Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm Technologies have made a significant breakthrough in the realm of 5G technology by demonstrating the use of 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) in both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands.

This groundbreaking achievement marks the first time that 1024 QAM has been successfully utilized for FDD, promising to revolutionize the efficiency and performance of 5G networks by boosting spectral efficiency by up to 20%.

QAM, an advanced modulation technology, plays a crucial role in transmitting data more efficiently by determining the number of bits that can be delivered in each transmission. While 256 QAM is commonly used in commercial networks, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies have now pushed the boundaries by implementing the latest 1024 QAM defined in 3GPP Release 17 specifications.

The enhanced QAM technology not only enables operators to optimize their spectrum resources but also allows mobile users to seamlessly enjoy bandwidth-intensive services like live video streaming and online multiplayer gaming, which demand higher download speeds.

The successful test was carried out in Samsung's R&D lab in Korea using 5G vRAN software and radios supporting 2.1GHz (FDD) and 3.5GHz (TDD) bands, in conjunction with Qualcomm's mobile phone form-factor test device equipped with the cutting-edge Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System.

This achievement is particularly noteworthy as it represents the first instance in the industry where 1024 QAM has been implemented for the FDD band. By utilizing a 20MHz bandwidth, the companies were able to achieve a remarkable downlink speed of 485Mbit/s, surpassing the theoretical limits and outperforming the current 256 QAM technology by over 20%.

Looking ahead, Samsung is set to conclude its ongoing tests of 1024 QAM in traditional RAN, with plans for the technology to be commercially available within the year. Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President and Head of Product Strategy for Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, emphasized the importance of enhancing spectral efficiency in driving next-generation solutions.

"This achievement underscores Samsung's commitment to advancing mobile technology," Seol stated. "Our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies continues to yield impressive results, and we are excited to leverage our combined expertise to fuel further network innovation."

In a previous milestone, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies showcased the world's first simultaneous 5G 2x uplink and 4x downlink carrier aggregation for FDD spectrum, demonstrating their ongoing partnership in pushing the boundaries of 5G technology.

For more information, visit www.samsung.com and www.qualcomm.com.