Timeline Qualcomm - how they became pioneers of telecommunications

TIMELINE

QUALCOMM - HOW THEY BECAME PIONEERS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

One of the world’s foremost wireless innovators, Qualcomm has an extraordinary history of firsts. Behind many breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects, computes, and communicates, they are integrated into smartphones, smart cities and smart factories, semiconductors, processors and more as well as actively involved in the everyday technology used by billions of people.

1995

1985

QUALity COMMunications

Seven employees of Linkabit - a firm established in 1968 that today boasts more than 75 indirect or direct spin-off companies - gather in the home of Irwin Jacobs, co-founder and former chairman of Qualcomm. Together, these engineers would pioneer the use of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, which would change the world of wireless.

CDMA hits the market

Based on theories of multiple frequencies that could be used to send a single radio transmission, the inspiration behind CDMA came from Hollywood stars of the 40s, Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil. ‘Frequency hopping’ was patented and proposed to the US government in WW2 to prevent signal jamming, but it was ignored and forgotten, until Qualcomm revived the concept. CDMA would become the basis for cellular networks, eventually overtaking the well established time division multiple access (TDMA).

2002 2004 2009

3G

After a series of inventions solved the complex challenges that helped the world to adopt CDMA and it became a commercially viable option for 2G, CDMA would form the basis for all 3G networks and the introduction of mobile broadband services. Two competing mobile broadband standards came out of 3G, based on CDMA: CDMA2000/EV-DO and WCDMA/HSPA+

4G

Qualcomm leads the evolution and expansion of LTE, LTE Advanced, and LTE Advanced Pro. 4G LTE revolutionises the mobile broadband industry, delivering one of the fastest growing wireless technologies and superior mobile broadband experiences on a global scale; creating an LTE ecosystem containing over 600 commercial networks and more than 9,500 commercial devices.

2019

5G After many years spent in R&D, the hard work and collaboration at Qualcomm pays off as mobile form factor mmWave devices finally hit the market. These new 5G NR mmWaveenabled smartphones, tablets, always-connected PCs, and CPEs deliver unprecedented and enhanced experiences on mobile devices. The 5G world has begun, but the potential of technology is at the embryonic stages. The future will see widespread usage across smart manufacturing, smart cities, automotive and more.