Qualcomm Technologies has been granted permission by the FCC to conduct 28 GHz tests in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and San Diego, California.
Qualcomm said in its experimental license application that the tests will be conducted in the immediate vicinity of its buildings and roads within a 1 km range from the Qualcomm headquarters in San Diego and a Qualcomm building in Bridgewater.
The authorization for the 28 GHz experimental license is good until June 1, 2020.
Qualcomm’s applications typically are granted. In the past, it has received permission to conduct tests in various spectrum bands, including 57.5-64 GHz.
In April, Qualcomm announced its 5G Test Ready Program to help expedite the launch of Snapdragon-powered 5G devices from multiple device manufacturers. The program is open to the test vendors that it works closely with and allows them to test 5G New Radio (NR) technology.
The company said it would be working this year with more than 20 operators around the world to participate in the first standards-compliant 5G NR network trials.
The FCC announced plans to auction licenses in the 28 GHz band starting Nov. 14, followed by the auction of licenses in the 24 GHz band.
Industry stakeholders have been submitting comments to the FCC on those plans, with entities like T-Mobile saying they really want some time in between these two events to take stock and assess the results of Auction 101 (the 28 GHz auction) before starting the quiet period for Auction 102 (the 24 GHz auction). Having time in between would allow companies to make more informed decisions about how best to invest in the resources needed to deploy 5G, according to the “uncarrier.” (PDF)