Those who can’t do, teach. Intel might have sold its 5G modem business to Apple, but it seems that it isn’t done in the space just yet. The company today announced a partnership with Taiwan-based semiconductor company MediaTek for the “development, certification and support of 5G modem solutions” for laptops.
The program is expected to deliver its first products in 2021. Intel will create the spec, and MediaTek will make the modems, which Intel will validate and promote to OEM partners.
That release date means Qualcomm is more likely to be the first with 5G laptops. At the Computex conference in May, it showed off the Project Limitless laptop in partnership with Lenovo. The PC featured a Snapdragon x55 5G modem paired with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx processor.
In addition, Intel and Mediatek are working with Fibocom on the development of M.2 modules designed to work with Intel client platforms.
MediaTek today is also launching its Dimensity line of 5G systems on a chip (SoCs).
Hopefully, by the time these launch, 5G networks will be widespread enough for laptop users to take advantage of the speeds in office buildings and homes and not just out on the street.
