Qualcomm says its new Snapdragon X24 LTE cat 20 modem will be the world’s first  to support 4G LTE speeds up to 2 Gbps.

That’s twice as fast as wired Gigabit internet currently offered by Verizon FiOS, Google Fiber, or Comcast. At least in theory.

In practice, you need a lot more than just a special modem to get the kinds of speeds Qualcomm is talking about.

First up, you’ll need a network that actually offers speeds that fast. As far as I know there aren’t any yet.

Second, you’ll need ideal conditions including a strong signal between the cell tower and your phone and limited congestion from other users. I wouldn’t be surprised if you also have to pay an arm and a leg for a high-speed data plan.

Or maybe carriers will continue to offer their existing plans… complete with data caps, which means you’ll be able to burn through your monthly allotment of data in a matter of seconds.

Anyway, Qualcomm says the X24 modem is built using a 7 nanometer FinFET process, making it the first 7nm chip announced, although it remains to be seen whether it’ll be the first to market. Qualcomm expects phones and other devices with the Snapdragon X24 modem to start shipping in 2019.

Phones with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor featuring a Snapdragon X20 modem (with top speeds of 1.2 Gbps) are expected to hit the streets this year. So it’s likely that the Snapdragon X24 will be integrated with whatever mobile platform eventually replaces Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845.

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5 replies on “Qualcomm’s new LTE modem supports speeds up to 2 Gbps (theoretically)”

  1. Comcast is advertising faster speeds. From their website: “GIG-SPEED INTERNET FROM XFINITY IS HERE Perfect for today’s ultra-connected, smart household, providing the ultimate WiFi experience with speeds up to 2 Gbps.”

      1. Given the quality (or lack thereof) of Comcast’s website, your error is completely excusable. I know their Giga service is available in my area, but I can’t even find pricing on their site.

        1. No guarantee of speed. They will not quote you an exact amount per month. Data caps. I hope Elon gets his sat system up in the next few years. I would love to see how fast everyone would leave Comcast and AT&T.

      2. It might be faster than say what a home network will typically have, but do any of the carriers even have the capacity for it? Although I do think we are overdue for faster ethernet in homes than gigabit.

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