Eager to get away from reliance on Qualcomm, Apple has been working to build its own 5G modem since at least 2019, when it purchased Intel’s chip development business for $1 billion. It now joins a small, select group of companies to offer one of these — only Samsung, MediaTek, Huawei, and, of course, Qualcomm have one. The chips also carry GPS systems and support for satellite connectivity, and they handle all the usual 4G/5G frequencies.
Missing the mmWave?
Still, one thing Apple hasn’t put in place is support for Wi-Fi 7 or millimeter wave 5G networks (mmWave). That standard is the fastest form of 5G, but is hampered by a limited range that means you don’t usually get to use it. Even in the US, it isn’t widely available, likely reflecting the cost burden of putting base stations that support it on carrier networks.
Now, we know Apple has spent time working with millimeter wave; we also know Qualcomm holds several patents in the tech. Apple isn’t saying whether it will ever support mmWave, but this might not matter much because it is mostly only used in the US (and not widely). In the UK, the spectrum used for mmWave hasn’t even been released as yet.
This story originally appeared on Computerworld
