Intel made several product and partnership announcements at MWC 2016 to position itself as a major force in the push towards 5G. The chip maker announced that it will work with Ericsson, Nokia, LG and Verizon to speed up things in the development of 5G wireless networks, thus providing better connectivity for computers, the Internet of Things (IoT) and even connected cities and driverless vehicles.
Intel aims to lead 5G connectivity
Speaking in the run-up to MWC in Barcelona, Aicha Evans, corporate vice president and general manager of the Intel communication and services group, said, “5G represents a significant shift for these networks and we think it’s essential to get ready ahead of the curve.”
Intel is giving special attention to 5G, as according to Evans, the technology exhibits “a fundamental shift” for computing. Because Intel wishes to be the leader in 5G and wireless networks, it used MWC to reveal what it describes as connectivity solutions designed for the IoT.
Intel revealed Atom x3-M7272, a wireless communication platform for automotive applications to power advanced security features and the Intel XMM 7120M LTE modem, which the company describes as being optimal for machine-to-machine applications and providing connectivity for a broad range of IoT use cases. Intel has tried to deliver a new type of modem capable of dealing with many different types of connected device because “when we look at the connected car, wearables, energy management or smart buildings, it’s important to have solutions which are targeted and specialized towards that,” Evans said.
5G not relevant to customers now
Many think 5G implementation is something that’s way off and not significantly important right now. Thomas Husson, a Forrester analyst argues it will have no impact on consumers in the next five years. However, the chip maker believes the research and development of 5G to be necessary, if not today, then in the future.
With the growing of technologies and devices such as wearable fitness trackers, drones, autonomous vehicles and the increasing demand for cloud computing, the chip maker believes the requirement of 5G is already present. Intel has partnered will Ericsson and will engage in joint trials surrounding 5G. The chip maker will also be working with Nokia to collaborate on 5G radio technologies to meet device connectivity requirements for future wireless networks.
