Who is ready for it?

On the eve of the start of the MWC, Chinese telecom giant ZTE unveiled its first Gigabit Phone what it said is the world’s first smartphone compatible with the lightening-fast 5G mobile internet service that networks expect to have up and running by 2020.

“With the new device, the way people stay connected will be changed forever. Focusing on 5G technologies will be one of the key priorities of ZTE’s global development,” a ZTE spokesman said.

The device is powered by Snapdragon 835’s advanced X16 LTE modem along with 4x4 MIMO antenna technology and 256-QM modulation. The device will reportedly allow users to experience 360degree panoramic Virtual Reality video and fast downloads of ultra Hi-Fi audio and videos.

Another Chinese tech giant, Huawei released the first 5G networking slicing router at the MWC. The routing protocols of different network slices can be independently configured to provide physically isolated slices for traditional 2G/3G/4G/5G.

Chip maker Qualcomm also announced the expansion of its Snapdragon X50 5G modem family to accelerate 5G New Radio (NR) standardisation. The newly released modem will embed technology for 2G/3G/4G/5G connection onto one chip, which would provide connectivity across 4G and 5G networks. Moreover, Qualcomm is partnering with Ericsson and Vodafone to test 5G interoperability. The Snapdragon X50 family are expected to support the first large-scale 5G NR trials and commercial launches starting in 2019.