What are 5G Modem Chipsets : Top Manufacturers & Vendors

5G modem chipsets are semiconductor components that enable devices to connect to 5G wireless networks by managing signal transmission, reception and data processing. They support advanced technologies such as sub-6 GHz and mmWave connectivity, carrier aggregation, low latency communication and power efficient operation, making them essential for smartphones, IoT devices, automotive systems, and network equipment. The popular manufacturers include Samsung, MediaTek, Intel, Qualcomm and Huawei.

About 5G NR (New Radio)

The 5G NR (New Radio) is the next-generation (fifth generation) wireless cellular technology based on the 3GPP standard, specifically Release 15 and beyond. It adheres to the 38 series of 3GPP specifications.

5G NR systems operate across a diverse range of frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz and above 6 GHz (mmWave bands). One of the key advantages of 5G NR is its ability to achieve data rates that are 10 times higher than LTE, coupled with a significantly reduced latency of less than 1ms. Advancements in SoC (System on a Chip) technologies are driving the development of both hardware and software programmable chipsets.

5G NR Modem Chipset Vendors

Vendors	5G NR Modem Chipset Features
Samsung Exynos Modem 5100	• Supports 3GPP Release 15 specifications. • Supports both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. • Supports bandwidths of 100 MHz per Component Carrier (CC) in the Sub-6 GHz band, and 10 times more bandwidth compared to LTE (20MHz) in the mmWave band. • Supports up to 256-QAM (sub-6 GHz band) and up to 64-QAM (mmWave band). • Supports legacy wireless standards such as GSM, CDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA, LTE-TDD/FDD on a single chip. • Supports 8 Carrier Aggregation (CA) in the downlink and 2CA in the uplink. • Supports 4x4 MIMO and FD-MIMO. • Built on 10nm FinFET Process.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X50	• Supports sub-6 GHz and mmWave (millimeter wave) bands. • Supports both NSA (Non-Standalone) and SA (Standalone) operations. NSA mode uses LTE for control signaling and data over 5G NR, while SA mode uses 5G NR for both control signaling and user data. • Supports multi-mode RATs (Radio Access Technologies) e.g. 2G/3G/4G/5G. • Supports 5G NR specifications as per 3GPP R15, including Scalable OFDM, Multi-user MIMO, LDPC, adaptive TDD subframes, low latency slot structure, etc.
Intel XMM 8xxx series (Intel XMM 8000 series and Intel XMM-8060)	Features of XMM 8060 are as follows: • Supports SA and NSA modes as per 5G NR standard. • Supports multi-RATs e.g. 2G/3G/4G and 5G.
MediaTek Helio M70	• Supports 3GPP Rel-15 NR specifications. • Supports sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands. • Supports SA and NSA modes. • Was slated for release by 2019.
Huawei Balong 5G01	• Supports sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave bands. • Supports 4G and 5G networks. • Huawei developed a 5G CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) which houses the Balong 5G01 chipset. • Supports NSA/SA modes. • Achieved a download speed of 2.3 Gbps in testing.

Conclusion

5G modem chipsets are the foundation of next-generation wireless connectivity, with leading manufacturers and vendors developing high performance solutions that deliver faster data speeds, improved network efficiency and reliable communication across diverse 5G-enabled devices and applications.