US-China tech war: Qualcomm teams up with ZTE, China Mobile for 5G positioning

Qualcomm, ZTE and China Mobile are expected to present the results of their latest joint initiative this year

High-precision positioning in 5G would enable many industrial applications for the next-generation mobile technology

Reading Time:2 minutes

Qualcomm continues to collaborate with major Chinese telecoms companies in 5G development projects, despite trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:15pm, 9 Feb 2021Updated: 5:15pm, 9 Feb 2021

US semiconductor and wireless tech giant Qualcomm is collaborating with China Mobile and ZTE Corp to conduct 5G positioning tests, an initiative that aims to help widen industrial adoption of the next-generation mobile system in the world’s second-largest economy.

The three companies are expected to present the results of their 5G positioning trials this year, Qualcomm said in a joint statement on Monday, without elaborating.

High-precision positioning in 5G, according to information from Qualcomm’s website, is a key enabler for many vertical applications, including public safety and indoor navigation. It also offers additional flexibility in 5G network deployment and maintenance.

“The development and use of 5G network positioning capabilities will provide support for industrial application and empower thousands of industries,” said Bai Yanmin, general manager of ZTE’s 5G products group, in the statement.

Qualcomm’s joint 5G positioning tests with telecoms gear maker ZTE and China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless network operator by subscribers and infrastructure, marks continued cooperation in the industry amid the US-China tech war, which escalated during the Trump administration.

In 2017, Qualcomm, ZTE and China Mobile conducted the world’s first end-to-end 5G interoperability data testing, which achieved multi-gigabit per second peak data rates at significantly lower air interface delay than 4G mobile networks.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x