With 5G technology gaining pace in the market, companies are working hard to develop it further to offer customers stable and super-fast network connections. In keeping up with the development, Taiwan-based chipmakers MediaTek today announced their new 5G-based modem with support for both mmWave and Sub-6 GHz 5G network.
Dubbed the MediaTek M80, the new modem will support “ultra-fast speeds on both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) architectures”. It will also deliver speeds up to 7.67 Gbps in the downlink and up to 3.76 Gbps in the uplink. It will support dual 5G SIM, dual 5G networks (both NSA and SA), and dual Voice over New Radio (VoNR). These are packed in the new M80 to provide users with more 5G options and reliable network connections.
MediaTek, as you might know, is pushing 5G technology in the market with its portfolio of 5G SoCs such as the latest Dimensity 1100 and 1200 chipsets. So, with the M80 modem supporting both mmWave and Sub-6 GHz 5G networks, MediaTek aims to give smartphone manufacturers more flexibility with integrating 5G network support in their upcoming devices.
The company notes that its 5G line of modems can be “ideal for a range of devices” such as smartphones, PCs, Mi-Fi hotspots, industrial IoT applications, and others. So, the new M80 has been thoroughly tested against industry standards, providing worldwide operators support for a full range of radio access technologies. These include:
- 3GPP Release 16 standard
- Sub-6 GHz and mmWave dual connectivity and carrier aggregation
- 5G NR (FR1) with more than two carrier aggregation
- 5G mmWave (FR2) up to 8CC
- 5G carrier aggregation with Mixed Duplex (TDD + FDD)
- Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) ready
Apart from these, the M80 comes with the company’s 5G UltraSave technologies, on top of a power-conserving single-chip design, that enhances the chip’s power-saving capabilities. It also integrates the company’s UltraSave Network Environment Detection and UltraSave OTA Content Awareness technologies to “dynamically adjust power configuration and operating frequency based on the network environment”.
Moreover, there is the company’s Dynamic Bandwidth Part (BWP) technology that optimizes the use of bandwidth to support light or heavy data requests. Lastly, the M80 will be able to remain powered in connected standby even when there is no data-related activity as it features Connected Mode DRX (C-DRX) technology.
“As 5G rollouts accelerate, mmWave is becoming increasingly important, especially in the U.S. MediaTek’s new 5G modem integrates support for both sub-6 GHz and mmWave networks to address this opportunity and give device makers more flexibility. To advance users’ 5G experiences, the new modem supports the latest global cellular standards and specifications and it packs MediaTek’s signature power savings technologies along with ultra-fast speeds”, said JC Hsu, the Corporate VP, and the General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communications Business.
The company expects the new M80 modem to reach customers later this year with the upcoming 5G devices.
