Qualcomm said the platform will feature Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modem-RF Systems for Fixed Wireless Access
Italian telco Fastweb and Qualcomm Technologies announced plans to commercialize 5G Standalone (SA) millimeter wave (mmWave) on Qualcomm’s 5G Fixed Wireless Access Platform Gen 2.
In a statement, Qualcomm said that the platform will feature Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modem-RF Systems for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
The joint efforts, which are expected to be rolled out in 2022, are intended to enable Fastweb to rapidly scale the reach of its FWA deployments, helping to bring its 5G offering to around twelve million homes and businesses in Italy, by the end of 2025.
By combining 5G standalone mode with mmWave using the Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modem-RF Systems, the partners said that Fastweb will be able to deliver broadband access speeds of up to 1 Gbps with ultra-low latency, to residential and commercial customers.
Qualcomm noted that the 5G FWA network of Fastweb is currently reaching more than 400 cities across Italy.
The chip maker also said that Snapdragon X65 and X62 5G Modem-RF Systems are from the company’s 4th generation 5G modem-RF family and designed with an upgradeable architecture to enable rapid rollout of new Release 16 features across mobile broadband, fixed wireless access, industrial IoT and 5G private networks via software upgrades.
Marco Arioli, technology officer at Fastweb, said, “These ambitious new plans demonstrate our ongoing commitment to support the digital transformation being brought to Italian families and businesses, providing enhanced connectivity and digital services.”
“Today marks another exciting milestone for the 5G ecosystem across Europe as Fastweb continues to invest in the potential of mmWave for Italy,” said Enrico Salvatori, SVP of Qualcomm Europe and president of Qualcomm Europe/MEA. “Qualcomm Technologies and industry leaders are at the heart of the 5G deployments being rolled out across Europe, and this announcement shows how ambitious operators in Europe are embracing the possibilities of this new class of mmWave spectrum. This new standard of connectivity will enable businesses to create new user experiences that will benefit and enrich our lives.”
In December 2020, Fastweb announced that its 5G mmWave FWA Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) devices were using the Snapdragon X55 Modem-RF System for the deployment of 5G FWA services across Italy.
Households are connected via 5G CPE device mounted on the roof or side of the house that connects wirelessly to a nearby cell tower and provides ultra-fast broadband service in-home.
Fastweb currently has 2.7 million wireline customers and 2.4 million mobile subscribers.
