Author: Wang Feipeng Internet of Things Think Tank Two days later, the 2024 Mobile World Congress (Mobile World Congress) will open in Barcelona, Spain.
From the public information, it can be seen that this year's conference will revolve around the theme"Future First".Unfolded, the event agenda will be shaped by six sub-themes that reflect the latest trends and technologies, namely:5G and Beyond, Connecting Everything, Humanising AI, Manufacturing DX, Game Changers, Our Digital DNA. These themes will be presented in 17 different stages across nine pavilions.
This is always the case in the field of technology, where some people talk about building momentum for the present, and some people quietly work to pave the way for the future.
It's just that too often, because the voice of those who build momentum is too loud and the image is too dazzling, it is difficult for everyone to see those who are working silently. Judging from the theme of the Barcelona exhibition, this time we can finally applaud those "invisible" technologies.
In 1991, Mark Weiser, chief scientist at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, proposed it in his famous article, "Computers in the 21st Century".Ubiquitous computingconcept. In Mark W. In Visser's view, in the future, computing resources will be integrated into the network, into the environment, and into life, and computing devices will become smaller and cheaper, so completely integrated into daily life that users will not even be aware of their existence.
The core principles of ubiquitous computing, also known as ubiquitous computing, are:
The purpose of a computer is to help people do other things, and it is externally oriented, not internally oriented. (The machine is a means, not an end).
The best computer is an unseen servant of faithfulness and is also able to anticipate needs. (The essence of intelligence).
Computers should stretch out the human unconscious, and the more you do it intuitively, the smarter you get. (The nature of machine learning techniques).
Technology should create tranquility and allow people to start using it without realizing it, without any noise.
Mark Visser said:"All the technologies that really matter must be the ones that will disappear. ”This is the essence of ubiquitous computing. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has made a similar point, and he has also mentioned that computers will be like "** people", unconsciously integrated into everyone's life.
The "disappearance" here is not the disappearance of the physical, but the disappearance of the psyche and the disappearance of the senses. Really good technology is to be woven into all the structures of daily life without traces, and this is the way of the future. At present, the intelligent push that we experience every day but is difficult to realize is actually close to this state.
In 1999, at the age of 47, Mark Visser died young, but since then, the path of ICT technology and industrial development has continued to confirm his status as a technology prophet.
From the earliest host computing, to later distributed personal computing, to mobile computing, to today's cloud computing ......
The pace of technology has never stopped rushing towards universalization, chasing towards the ultimate ideal scene:Connect all devices to the global network, so that computing resources become the basic resources to build human daily life, and provide personalized services for people quietly.
Pervasive computing is the goal, and connectivity is the condition for achieving that purposeThe premise of computational ubiquitous is the generalization of connections. Making connectivity more universal has also been a real central theme of previous editions of Barcelona.
The development of a wide variety of wireless communication technologies and non-terrestrial network communication technologies has made it possible to universalize connectivity. In a way, that's the vision of Mobile World Congress, and it's what many communications companies are working towards.
The Internet of Things Think Tank noticed that Qualcomm posted three articles in the early morning of February 21, presenting some of the technologies and products it may bring to the Mobile World Congress.
As a leader in the communications industry, Qualcomm's efforts and achievements in the field of connection technology can give a glimpse of the development logic and progress of the entire industry.
First of all, Qualcomm played a set of "wireless connection" combo punches, including:
Hyperscale MIMO will unleash the potential of mid- and high-band spectrum:It is reported that Qualcomm will bring the world's first ultra-large-scale MIMO antenna prototype system designed to run in the 13GHz frequency band at this year's MWC Barcelona exhibition, helping the wireless communication industry to explore the use of new spectrum in the medium and high frequency bands and prepare for the arrival of the 6G era.
Bringing new capabilities to advanced mmWave deployments:Qualcomm will showcase its newly expanded 5G mmWave test network in San Diego, which is now capable of hybrid beamforming to improve multi-user MIMO performance and terminal mobility. It also supports 5G standalone networking and integrates innovative infrastructure options that dramatically improve mmWave deployment efficiency.
Wireless AI Interoperability and Efficiency Improvements:Qualcomm's collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs will provide a glimpse into how sequential learning can enable multi-vendor wireless AI systems. In addition, Qualcomm will demonstrate that its prototype system for AI-assisted mmWave beam management already supports airspace beams**.
Digital Twin Network:Qualcomm's real-time OTA testbed for digital twin networks will demonstrate how high-fidelity modeling of physical spaces, RF propagation, and NE dynamics can deliver a better user experience and new capabilities, including mobility, enhanced positioning, and deterministic network transformation.
The road to sub-thz:Qualcomm will demonstrate real-world applications for point-to-multipoint communications and dynamic reconfiguration of point-to-point wireless links in data centers using the new spectrum in the 140GHz band.
In addition, Qualcomm also revealed in its article that some new developments in wireless connectivity technology will be presented in more detail at this year's communications exhibition, such asSub-band full-duplex cross-link interference cancellation, link adaptive enhancement to improve system spectral efficiency, and robust Super-QAM design to improve network performanceWait.
On the other hand, as the world's leading 5G technology manufacturer, Qualcomm has also launched a new 5G technology solution on the basis of a deep understanding of the needs of various manufacturers and users, in order to lead technological innovation and implementation. The relevant technical solutions include:
Advanced Car Connectivity:Qualcomm expands its advanced cloud platform to support more vulnerable traffic participants (VRUs), including automotive safety scenarios at multiple intersections, how to leverage vehicle trajectory information learning and wireless coverage to ensure seamless automotive connectivity.
Unbounded AR:, which supports dynamic distributed computingThe solution, which was developed by Qualcomm in collaboration with Hololight and Ericsson, is a reflection of how to process in the cloud when network conditions are optimal, and smoothly transition to device-side computing when needed, demonstrating that dynamic distributed computing will be the key to unlocking the unbounded AR experience.
5G Lightweight (RedCap) Evolution:At the show, Qualcomm will demonstrate how 5G networks can be scaled with RedCap to support exponentially growing 5G devices while coexisting with other types of 5G devices and services. It also shows how a new low-power wake-up receiver design will lead to better terminal power-saving characteristics.
5G communication in space based on non-terrestrial network (NTN):Qualcomm used the advanced 5G NR NTN test platform to demonstrate the first OTA call between a simulated satellite and a prototype terminal. Qualcomm is also partnering with Ericsson and Keysight to demonstrate seamless mobility between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, as well as handover between satellites.
5G Broadcasting for **:Qualcomm, in partnership with Rohde & Schwarz and the world's leading broadcasters, will demonstrate the readiness of 5G broadcasting for commercial deployments across a wide range of use cases.
Finally, Qualcomm is also actively exploring new application fields, leveraging its leading technological advantages to create new technical solutions to empower new industries and new business formats.
For example, Qualcomm'sWi-Fi 7 solutionWith higher speeds, lower latency, and increased network capacity, it breaks through the boundaries of Wi-Fi experience. theQCA6797AQ, the latest solution for Snapdragon's automotive connectivity platformStrengthens Qualcomm's leadership position in driving the software-defined vehicle revolution.
The technical solutions that Qualcomm plans to exhibit at the Mobile World Congress mentioned above are all technologies that we usually find difficult to pay attention to, but they are all technologies that are crucial to the overall technology development process, and they are worthy of our applause.
Unlike terminal manufacturers, manufacturers such as Qualcomm naturally have ecological capabilities and ecological awareness. BecausethemTechnology is hidden behind the scenes, hidden inside. They are not competitors, but enablers, they are not contestants, but enablers.
It is precisely because of this trait and identity that it is easier for them to step out of themselves (EGO) and embrace ecology (ECO) in the face of technology and industry development trends.
For example, many of the technical solutions mentioned above are the result of cooperation with upstream and downstream ecosystems.
In addition,As an upstream enterprise in the industrial chain, its value can only be truly exerted and released by empowering downstream manufacturers. Therefore, companies like Qualcomm will also believe in and practice the motto of "customer-centric".
From Qualcomm's public articles, we can also see that in promoting 5G construction, Qualcomm has really focused on the ecology and always thinks about customers.
From the proposal to the implementation of the technology, it often takes a long process, and there are many obstacles to overcome in the middle.
Behind a transformative technology, there are often many practical challenges. Taking 5G as an example, theoretically, we know that it has the characteristics of low latency, high reliability, and wide coverage. However, in terms of landing, it will inevitably face problems such as large fixed investment, high operating costs, high power consumption of equipment, and insignificant short-term returns.
These problems are not only the problems of operators, but also problems that need to be faced and overcome by the entire industry chain.
Qualcomm mentions in its article that inVirtualized Radio Access Network (Open VRAN).In response to the strong growth in commercial design and deployment, they have responded to this trend by adding intelligent computing products to their 5G RAN portfolio and introducing a new product lineupA portfolio of processors built for diverse use cases.
For example,Qualcomm FSM100 5G RAN platform for small cellsIt has been commercially available with the Qualcomm Infrastructure Processor QIPP100 for RAN workload processing. The platform delivers the right combination of performance, capacity, power, cost, size, and ease of deployment required for residential and SOHO (home office) 5G deployments.
With this optimized platform, MNOs can collaborate with Qualcomm's infrastructure partners to meet the growing demand for high-speed, low-latency 5G in homes and small offices, fill market gaps, and provide viable upgrades to legacy 3G and 4G residential small cell deployments.
In addition to small cell processors used to reduce the cost pressure of 5G deployments in residential, small office, and home office spacesQualcomm also leveraged its CPU, NPU and GPU expertise to launch VRAN server processors for AI computing.
Powered by energy-efficient, multi-merchant VRAN servers equipped with Qualcomm X100 5G RAN accelerator cards and Qualcomm QDU100 5G RAN platforms, decoupled RAN is expected to help operators reduce TCO (total cost of ownership).
Looking back at the performance of previous Qualcomm MWC, we will find that it has always been able to stick to its own rhythm in the ever-changing hot spots and outlets, and promote the progress of global connectivity technology through technological breakthroughs with the spirit of "accumulating steps to thousands of miles".
Advanced MIMO evolution, mobile millimeter wave evolution, 5G RedCap technology, cellular Internet of Vehicles technology, etc., are not taken out of thin air by Qualcomm at this year's Barcelona exhibition, and we will see the progress trajectory of related technologies at previous exhibitions.
For example, the Snapdragon X75 launched in 2023 is an evolution of the Snapdragon X70 in 2022, and this year's Qualcomm automotive-grade Wi-Fi 7 solution QCA6797AQ is also a further layout and extension of Qualcomm's leading mobile phone and router Wi-Fi technology.
It is precisely because of this continuity that every breakthrough is worth looking forward to, and it also makes people aware of itBehind those "hot" products, there is actually a technical line that we have been ignoring, and what is really worthy of applause is the intangible technology that stands behind the tangible products.
Since MWC "settled" in Barcelona in 2006, it is just in time for the rapid development of mobile terminals. Almost every year at the Barcelona exhibition, it is the cool end products that are in the limelight. But from the perspective of the industrial chain,The brilliance of the terminal is actually the result of the convergence of many behind-the-scenes technologies, and it is just a node in the entire chain.
At the same time, the technology that goes unseen does not mean that it is not important, but the division of labor in the industry allows them to play the role of hidden ones. Just like the line in the movie "The Grandmaster":In one door, if someone is a face, someone must be a lining.
The greatest value of such a grand event as the Barcelona Exhibition is to present those "lizi" technologies and corporate efforts that are not easy to be seen by people every day in front of the public. Let people see that although they are not as good as those first-class end products, they are the guarantee to support the progress of our entire technical system and industrial direction.
References:"The Computer for the 21st Century", Scientific American "MWC Barcelona 2024: Wireless Innovation Makes Intelligent Computing Everywhere", Qualcomm China "Qualcomm Launches World's First Automotive Wi-Fi 7 Solution, Opening a New Stage of In-Car Experience", Qualcomm China "Intelligent Computing Solutions Combine Open VRAN Commercial Momentum to Jointly Promote 5G Infrastructure Development", Qualcomm China Obstacles and keys to large-scale commercial use of 5G: A study based on a large-sample questionnaire survey", Economics and Management Research, "Barcelona Communication Exhibition, Chinese Gradually Lead", Tiger Sniff Network.