Qualcomm To Establish 5G R&D Center In Taiwan

Qualcomm has revealed plans to establish three technology and testing centers in Taiwan as part of efforts to collaborate with the Taiwanese government and businesses on the commercial development of 5G and other advanced technologies.

The company has revealed plans to establish a 5G module research and design center in Hsinchu in the north of the nation in 2019, Digitimes reported.

The center will seek to develop plug-and-play solutions to help small and medium sized enterprises enter the 5G market without a huge capital outlay.

Qualcomm plans to work with Taiwanese companies to develop 5G related technologies and accelerate time to market for the solutions, the report states.

According to the report, this facility will be accompanied by a millimeter wave testing center and a biometric sensor facility, also in Hsinchu.

Together, the three facilities will form part of the Center for Operations, Manufacturing Engineering and Testing (COMET), which will also be Qualcomm’s new operations hub in the region. Qualcomm has already announced plans to establish multimedia and AI centers in Taiwan next year.

In August, Qualcomm agreed to make investments in Taiwan as part of a settlement agreement reversing nearly 90% of a TW$23.4 billion fine imposed on the company by Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission.

The original fine had been imposed in 2017 after the regulator accused Qualcomm of abusing its monopoly over key mobile device standards and violating local laws by refusing to supply products to clients disagreeing with its licensing conditions. – Telecom Asia