Qualcomm opens new 5G lab in UK, ropes in Sony as first OEM

Intensifying the testing of 5G networks, US-based chipmaker Qualcomm has expanded its R&D facility in the UK and has chosen Sony as the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to take advantage of the lab.

Located in Farnborough, the new facility comes with space dedicated to over-the-air (OTA) 5G transmissions at millimetre wave (mmWave) frequencies, the company wrote in a blog-post on Wednesday.

After Sony, the lab would help other OEMs and European operators to test and fine-tune mmWave devices and network configurations.

For starters, Sony would provide pre-commercial mmWave mobile form factor devices to the facility to test the capacity, throughput, latency and reliability of mmWave in multiple deployment scenarios.

"While the initial European industry focus is currently on sub-6 5G deployments, this facility will provide our customers to see and test the benefits of 5G NR mmWave technology for themselves," said Enrico Salvatori, President, Qualcomm Europe.

The reason why testing 5G transmissions at mmWave frequencies is so important is because for dense urban environments, indoor venues and enterprises, mmWave brings massive capacity and low-latency connectivity to smartphones and laptops.

Currently, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia and the US are leading with 5G large-scale mass deployment.

In India, 5G trials are slowly picking up, with Ericsson, Nokia, Intel and Huawei aiming to further invest towards 5G test beds in the country.