Qualcomm working on LTE chip with 7-band frequency support
updated 01:03 pm EDT, Wed June 6, 2012
Qualcomm to release 28nm, MSM9860-based chip for LTE network interoperability
Qualcomm working on LTE chip with 7-band frequency support
A new FCC filing (PDF) from Qualcomm reveals the mobile chipmaker is hard at work on an upcoming LTE chip that support many wireless frequency bands. The chip promises to support three frequencies on either side of 1GHz and a seventh one in the high range that would be compatible with Clearwire's 2.5GHz 4G network. This spread would effectively get rid of North American operators' interoperability worries.
The 28nm-based MSM8960-design chip will be shipped out to handset makers in July, with customers likely to see them before the end of 2012. The chip prompted Qualcomm to go on record to say it doesn't support an FCC mandate to require LTE interoperability but instead let the free market decide which bands to use for next-generation wireless broadband.
The chip doesn't cover 4G bands used in other parts of the world, however.
The chip is likely a result of the ClearWire and Qualcomm partnership announced in May. [via Fierce Wireless]
