Qualcomm, Microsoft building solutions to ease private-5G network deployments

Chip-maker Qualcomm has partnered with Microsoft to release a new solution that will help ease the deployment of 5G private networks.   

CEO of Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon, announced at the ongoing Mobile World Congress 2022 that the solution will act as connecting software between the chip and the cloud, more specifically, the Microsoft Azure Cloud.   

“It is an easy way to help enterprises scale their 5G ambitions and their edge computing ambitions as well,” Amon said.   

Private 5G networks will help enterprises and public sector players to create a private ecosystem for high-speed and low-latency internet connections, even if the premises is already part of a larger public 5G coverage zone.    

Also read: Qualcomm's embeds AI into new X70 5G mode

To speed up 5G deployments, both the companies are building private-connectivity architectures that can readily be installed. This is expected to help 5G connected PCs and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications where fast chip-cloud connections are crucial. 

Microsoft Azure has its own private 5G solution called the private 5G core, along with one for edge-computing called the Azure private multi-access edge compute (Private MEC). The collaboration will bring together Qualcomm’s 5G technologies with the private 5G and edge computing solutions of Microsoft.   

“This collaboration between Microsoft and Qualcomm Technologies will reduce adoption barriers and operating costs for high performance 5G connectivity solutions serving global enterprises,” said Shriraj Gaglani, General Manager for Azure for Operators at Microsoft.  

In January, Qualcomm and Microsoft announced a partnership to build a custom augmented reality chip that will be used by Microsoft in its upcoming metaverse aimed products. In that announcement, the companies said they will integrate Microsoft’s virtual platform Microsoft Mesh, with Qualcomm’s virtual reality development tool, the Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform.