Samsung and Qualcomm Achieve Industry First: 1024 QAM Tests in Telecommunications Technology

Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have achieved a groundbreaking feat in telecommunications technology, completing 1024 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) tests for both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands. 

This accomplishment, a first for FDD, signifies a leap forward in data transmission efficiency.

QAM, an advanced modulation technology, determines how efficiently data is transmitted, with higher QAM numbers signifying greater data delivery capacity per transmission. While 256 QAM is standard in commercial networks, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies have pushed the boundaries by achieving the latest 1024 QAM specified in 3GPP Release 17.

This technological advancement empowers operators to optimize their spectrum resources and enables mobile users to enjoy bandwidth-intensive services like live video streaming and online gaming with higher download speeds.

The successful test, conducted at Samsung’s R&D lab in Korea, utilized Samsung’s 5G vRAN software and radios supporting 2.1GHz (FDD) and 3.5GHz (TDD) bands, along with Qualcomm Technologies’ mobile test device featuring the Snapdragon® X75 5G Modem-RF System.

This achievement represents the first instance of achieving 1024 QAM for the FDD band in the industry. With a 20MHz bandwidth, the companies achieved speeds of 485Mbps, a significant improvement over the current 256 QAM technology, with a more than 20% increase in downlink speed.

Samsung plans to further test 1024 QAM in traditional RAN configurations, with commercial availability expected within the year. 

“We believe enhancing spectral efficiency is essential in developing next-generation solutions. This achievement underscores Samsung’s ongoing commitment to push forward the frontiers of mobile technology,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our collaborative efforts with Qualcomm Technologies have once again yielded impressive results, and we look forward to harnessing our combined expertise to drive network innovation.” 

“We are honored to have collaborated with Samsung on this industry first achievement,” said Sunil Patil, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This accomplishment showcases our unwavering commitment to supporting operators in their efforts to enhance 5G throughput and boost spectral efficiency. By leveraging advanced QAM technology, we are empowering operators to maximize spectrum resources and deliver seamless, high-speed mobile services to 5G users.” 

Meanwhile, late last year, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies accomplished the world’s first simultaneous 5G 2x uplink and 4x downlink carrier aggregation for FDD spectrum. The companies are continuing the collaboration to push the boundaries of mobile 5G technology.

 

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