Laptops powered by MediaTek, Intel 5G solution expected in early 2021

Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company MediaTek on Thursday said the first laptops enabled by it and Intel 5G modem solution are expected in early 2021.

MediaTek said its T700 5G modem, which will be used to bring 5G connectivity to Intel-powered PCs, completed 5G standalone (SA) calls in real world test scenarios.

Additionally, Intel has progressed on system integration, validation and developing platform optimisations for a superior user experience and is readying co-engineering support for its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners.

"Our partnership with Intel is a natural extension of our growing 5G mobile business, and is an incredible market opportunity for MediaTek to move into the PC market," MediaTek President Joe Chen said in a statement.

"With Intel's deep expertise in the PC space and our groundbreaking 5G modem technology, we will redefine the laptop experience and bring consumers the best 5G experiences."

The MediaTek T700 modem supports non-standalone and standalone Sub-6 5G network architectures to deliver consistently faster speeds and more reliable connectivity, the company said.

"Building on our 4G/LTE leadership in PCs, 5G is poised to further transform the way we connect, compute and communicate. Intel is committed to enhancing those capabilities on the world's best PCs," said Chris Walker, Intel Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Mobile Client Platforms.

MediaTek is rolling out its 5G technology across the PC, mobile, home, auto and Internet of Things (IoT) segments to make super-fast connectivity accessible to everyone.