Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) announced on Feb. 20 that it is working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), to develop 5G mmWave infrastructure systems for enterprises and public venues.
The forthcoming 5G systems are designed to combine Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G and mmWave technology leadership with Corning’s industry-proven small-cell expertise to deliver affordable and easy-to-install 5G-ready networks indoors. The Corning systems are expected to be among the first designed to deliver 5G–NR capability over mmWave spectrum in the indoor segment, which includes enterprises such as offices, university campuses, hospitals, hotels, shopping centers, and more. The 5G systems will leverage Corning’s virtualized RAN architecture to manage the attached mmWave small cells.
By utilizing the Qualcomm FSM100xx 5G RAN platform, Corning has access to leading-edge mmWave capabilities that are designed to facilitate small, powerful, and power-efficient mmWave infrastructure for cost-effective and scalable indoor deployments. The working relationship between the companies is expected to enable Corning to implement new functionality around concurrent beamforming, advanced scheduling, and other features necessary to support the unique characteristics of indoor environments.
When combined with Corning’s LTE-based Enterprise RAN systems based on the Qualcomm FSM99xx 4G RAN platform, mobile operators are expected to rapidly deploy 5G-NSA services via the joint platform.
“Corning has decades of experience designing, installing, and conditioning advanced cellular networks,” said Michelle Engarto, vice president, wireless product line management, Corning Optical Communications. “Our experience in network design and knowledge of varying and distinct customer requirements will benefit customers as we navigate the complexities associated with 5G mmWave indoors. By combining the technology leadership and experience from Corning and Qualcomm Technologies, we aim to offer a compelling and affordable solution for 5G mmWave systems specifically developed with the enterprise in mind.”
“Corning and Qualcomm Technologies have a history of delivering infrastructure innovation spanning LTE, LTE-U/LAA, CBRS, and more,” added Puneet Sethi, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are now pleased to be ramping our fruitful relationship with Corning into the 5G era. We expect this marriage of Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G mmWave technology leadership with Corning’s industry-proven small-cell and enterprise expertise to deliver the capacity and performance benefits of 5G mmWave indoors, via development of cost effective, powerful, and scalable 5G mmWave infrastructure.”
Corning hardware is known for its small, elegant, low-power packages, and the companies say the goal is for customers to receive the same with this 5G solution, supported by Qualcomm Technologies 4G and 5G RAN offerings. Corning’s current 4G customers are expected to enjoy the benefits of 5G via a simple process that enables 5G-NSA service to their installations.
Details on the commercial availability of Corning’s new enterprise platform will be provided later this year, according to the companies. Learn more at http://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events.html.