Last year, Intel and MediaTek had announced a partnership with the goal of developing a 5G modem that would be used in future next-generation PC platforms. The move followed Intel's sale of their own cellular modem divison to Apple for $1B.
Today, MediaTek and Intel are announcing the name of the modem, the MediaTek T700 modem, and that the product has passed important milestones in development, having finished the hardware design phase and having been sucessfully certified and tested in real-world 5G SA (Standalone) network calls.
It's also been announced that Intel is advancing with platform system integration on their part, and readying co-engineering resources and support for OEM partners in order to develop end-products with the Intel and MediaTek platforms.
“Our partnership with Intel is a natural extension of our growing 5G mobile business, and is an incredible market opportunity for MediaTek to move into the PC market,” said MediaTek President Joe Chen. “With Intel’s deep expertise in the PC space and our groundbreaking 5G modem technology, we will redefine the laptop experience and bring consumers the best 5G experiences.”
“A successful partnership is measured by execution, and we’re excited to see the rapid progress we are making with MediaTek on our 5G modem solution with customer sampling starting later this quarter. Building on our 4G/LTE leadership in PCs, 5G is poised to further transform the way we connect, compute and communicate. Intel is committed to enhancing those capabilities on the world’s best PCs,” said Chris Walker, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of Mobile Client Platforms.
The MediaTek's T700 modem supports sub-6GHz NSA and SA networks, with future generations planned with mmWave connectivity.
The two companies re-iterate their goal of shipping the first laptops with the 5G modem solutions in early 2021.
Related Reading:
- Intel and MediaTek Announce Partnership To Bring 5G Modems to PCs
- Intel Exits 5G Smartphone Modem Market; Other Client Modem Businesses to Be Reviewed
- Apple to Buy Bulk of Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business For $1 Billion
