While 5G has been largely connected with smartphones, tech giants, Intel and Qualcomm are reportedly planning to make 5G available on computers.
At the 2019 Mobile World Congress, Intel and Qualcomm revealed 5G modems that connected to desktops or laptop machines via their M.2 sockets.
The Verge reported that both modules appear to rely on being connected to external 5G antennas, which don’t tend to be user-upgradeable. Instead, the intended customers for these are likely to be laptop manufacturers such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo, which have purchased similar LTE versions of these modules in the past.
Fibocom, an Intel partner, announced a new M.2 module that featured the Intel XMM8160 5G modem to be used in CPEs as well as upcoming PCs and laptops. During the Mobile World Congress show, the M.2 module was displayed on the Fibocom booth; a similar M.2 module for Qualcomm’s X55 modem was also displayed at the Qualcomm booth.
For Fibocom, its reps said the module is expected to be used in devices in 2020 while Qualcomm already has several partners that will be making the modules depending on specific customer requirements.
