Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced Qualcomm® Networking Pro Series platforms, its second-generation Wi-Fi 6 networking offerings, designed to deliver the ultimate Wi-Fi 6 connectivity experience across the widest range of applications. At Qualcomm® Wi-Fi 6 Day in San Francisco, executives are demonstrating the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series, comprised of four platforms, the 1200, 800, 600, and 400, distinguished by format, scale of application, and computing needs. The platforms leverage the company’s unique Wi-Fi 6 architecture and approach and are designed for densely congested networks, onboarding of hundreds of devices without degradation of user experience, and high performance.
Modern networks are overmatched by the number of devices and data demands placed on them in the most densely populated environments today. Networks must meet expectations for high bandwidth, low latency, and with fair and simultaneous access. This reality belies the promise of the Wi-Fi 6 standard and demands a new architectural approach to wireless networking silicon optimized for this environment. The Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms are built for the dense connectivity requirements of modern Wi-Fi networks, with Wi-Fi 6 features offering increased network capacity for high-density environments such as university lecture halls, malls, stadiums, and office buildings.
“Wi-Fi 6 is a transformational reimagining of how Wi-Fi works, a leap forward arriving alongside 5G and designed to accommodate the massive surge of connected devices,” said Nick Kucharewski, vice president and general manager, wireless infrastructure and networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms raise the bar for the management of the ever-growing number of connected devices, the variation and complexity of those devices’ data needs, and the quality of the overall connectivity experiences they deliver.”
“The proliferation of connected devices combined with exploding demand for video streaming and other types of real-time data are straining the average Wi-Fi network,” said Mike Feibus, president and principal analyst at industry research firm FeibusTech. “Wi-Fi 6 is built to address the needs of modern Wi-Fi networks, offering increased network capacity for high-density environments.”
Qualcomm Networking Pro Series Platforms
The Qualcomm Networking Pro Series spans four tiered platforms designed to provide OEMs with maximum flexibility. Each platform leverages all elements of Qualcomm Technologies’ Wi-Fi 6 differentiated feature implementation, but is distinguished by format, scale of application, and computing profile:
Derived from decades of R&D and proven engineering expertise across multiple connectivity portfolios, the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms bring a highly differentiated portfolio of features that go far beyond the standards to deliver superior performance outcomes:
- 8x8 radio support – Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms expand overall available capacity by offering up to 12 full streams of Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (in the 1200 tier), including 8 streams of Wi-Fi 6 connectivity in the 5GHz band.
- Qualcomm Technologies’ multi-use scheduling algorithms represent a distinctly differentiated form of traffic management for Wi-Fi. Through its advanced implementation of Wi-Fi 6 protocol standards, networks built on Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms can set a new benchmark for prioritizing network access for large numbers of connected clients:
- MU-MIMO: Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms support MU-MIMO in the uplink and downlink across all bands, ensuring maximum capacity (up to 12 independent chains of Wi-Fi to simultaneously connect MU-MIMO capable clients).
- OFDMA: Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms support OFDMA in the uplink and downlink across all bands with up to support for 37 users per 5GHz channel used.
- Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms employ Qualcomm Technologies’ highly differentiated maximum user networking architecture, a unique design developed through research and development into extreme high-density deployments. This network architecture has been designed to successfully associate and maintain connectivity for up to 1500 clients simultaneously, making it the ideal architecture for a host of next-gen enterprise and carrier-class deployments.
- The Qualcomm Networking Pro 1200 platform supports unique reconfiguration or wireless resources. Customers can design for either dual- or tri-radio operation (8x8 + 4x4 or 4x4 + 4x4 + 4x4) without the need to add a separate radio component.
- Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms support the Wi-Fi 6 modulation scheme, 1024QAM, enabling up to 38% higher raw throughput vs. Wi-Fi 5.
- Security: Qualcomm Technologies’ security implementation translates to support for the full WPA3 security suite (Personal, Enterprise, Opportunistic Wireless Encryption, Easy Connect).
“We are pleased to be working closely with many of the networking industry leaders as we work to bring the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 to next generation networks,” emphasized Kucharewski.
