Huawei unveils world's first 5G commercial chip

Huawei Balong 5G01, said to be the world's first commercial chipset that meets the latest 5G standards, is unveiled by Chinese mobile giant Huawei in Barcelona, Spain, February 25, 2018. (Photo/peopleapp.com)

Chinese mobile giant Huawei has unveiled its first 5G chip, which the company claims is the world's first commercial chipset that meets the latest 5G standards, reports People's Daily.

Announced ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Huawei says its Balong 5G01 is the world's first commercial chipset that adheres to the new 3GPP standard for 5G networks. It can accommodate download speeds of 2.3 GBPS (gigabit per second).

The company has also unveiled a 5G CPE (Consumer Premise Equipment) based on its chipset. The device is designed for commercial use, and also conforms to the new specifications for 5G agreed to by telecoms industry giants last year.

"The company is working with over 30 of the world's top operators to further cooperation in 5G area, as our partners including Vodafone, British Telecom, SoftBank and T-Mobile," said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group.

Huawei is reportedly planning to launch a 5G phone with the new chipset in the second half of the year.