MediaTek is planning to launch a 5G chipset sometime in 2019. According to a report by GizChina, the company’s CEO, Cai Lixing said that the Helio M70 5G baseband chip will be launched in the first half of next year. It should be noted that the M70 will just be the modem, and not the entire chipset. The 5G-enabled SoC should be announced sometime around the end of the year. So, one can expect smartphone powered by the new chipset only around 2020. The report adds that the company will be investing more resources in 5G. Lixing added that MediaTek’s 5G chip architecture is quite clear and fully utilized.
It looks like 5G availability is just around the corner. At the recently concluded Indian Mobile Congress 2018, 5G was quite heavily focused by all participating companies including Reliance Jio. During his opening keynote, the Chairman of the company, Mukesh Ambani, spoke about the current state and future of digital growth in India. He claimed that India will be a fully 4G country by 2020, and be ready for 5G ahead of others.
Jio’s competitor, Bharti Airtel, also showed off 5G network experiences under its Airtel 3.0 vision. The company showcased the key benefits of 5G by showcasing its speed and latency in comparison with 4G. The telecom operator also showcased other technologies such as a connected home and a connected car.