By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
MWC: Qualcomm’s new 5G FWA platform includes tri-band Wi-Fi 7
Today at MWC Barcelona Qualcomm announced its Dragonwing Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Gen 4 Elite Platform for 5G fixed wireless access (FWA). The platform powered by the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF and also includes tri-band Wi-Fi 7, Qualcomm said in a press release. This time the new platform includes up to 40 TOPS of NPU processing power, which “optimizes wireless connectivity across 5G broadband and Wi-Fi, while unlocking the power of generative AI for more devices, enabling a more reliable and harmonized user experience,” Qualcomm says.
World first at MWC: Audio streaming over Wi-Fi with Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro
Xiaomi has become the first company to launch earbuds capable of streaming audio via Wi-Fi – and that is a pretty significant development within the world of connectivity. Since Wi-Fi streaming is substantially better quality and longer ranger than Bluetooth (and now also comparable in power), the new Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro raise the question of whether Bluetooth streaming will soon be a thing of the past. The new earbuds from Xiaomi stream 96 kHz/24-bit ‘lossless audio’ powered by Qualcomm’s S7 Pro sound platform chip announced in 2023. Wi-Fi streaming to your earbuds also means much better range so that you need not worry about the limited reach of Bluetooth tethering when you walk away from your phone, for example.
Eir launches Ireland’s first Wi-Fi 7 service
Last week Eir – Ireland’s former PTT and largest telecom operator – launched its first Wi-Fi 7 home gateway and broadband service. The new tri-band Fibre box 7 delivers up to 2 Gbps of Wi-Fi data rate, which is 20 times faster than standard broadband, Eir says. Eir also released the WiFi box 7 repeater ‘for those hard to reach spaces’. The current Wi-Fi 7 service delivering 2 Gbps of broadband speed is priced at €49.99 per month and includes a free WiFi box 7.
Singtel successfully concludes trial of AI-enabled home Wi-Fi gateway
Singapore’s Singtel says it has successfully trialled an AI-enabled Home Wi-Fi Gateway that intelligently identifies and prioritises traffic based on application type. “The trial involved testing several applications across a range of devices to determine the improved quality of experience delivered by the AI-powered Smart Traffic Classifier, part of the Qualcomm Networking AI Suite available on Qualcomm DragonwingTM Networking Wi-Fi 7 platforms. The Smart Traffic Classifier is designed to deliver up to a 50% average latency reduction for applications such as gaming, streaming, voice, and video calls in congested environments,” Singtel says. The operator says this is the first successful telco trial of such a solution in the world. Read more here.
Note that if you are confused, you are not alone: Qualcomm Networking Pro 620, 820, 1220, and 1620 platforms have just been renamed Qualcomm Dragonwing™ NPro 7 Platform while Immersive Home 3210 and 326 platforms have been renamed Qualcomm Dragonwing™ N7 Platform.
/Claus.
