Qualcomm insists that FWA is an increasingly viable alternative to a service such as fiber-optic broadband, especially for customers who live out of the range of such networks. To that end, the fourth-gen Dragonwing platform for the equipment required has been unveiled as having upgraded to Elite status at MWC 2025.
It is rated to support mmWave signals from up to 14 kilometers (~9 miles) away and for downlink speeds of up to 12.5Gb/s, thanks to the new QTM567 antenna and the new Snapdragon X85 platform for 5G connections respectively.
Accordingly, the FWA Gen 4 Elite also benefits from the X85's AI processor with its up to 40 trillion operation per second (TOPS) NPU for inference speeds of up to 30% faster than the previous generation and AI-Powered On-Device Smart Network Selection.
On that note, Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite-powered routers might be able to use 2 SIMs at once to boost their signal thanks to Dual-SIM Dual Active (DSDA) technology and support "world-first" 5G Advanced connections.
They might also be able to fully support connected devices with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 as well as those with up-to-10Gb Ethernet ports.
Qualcomm is already shipping the Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite Platform to clients, meaning that routers and CPEs powered by the next-gen solution might be here relatively soon.
Source(s)
Qualcomm Press Release
Qualcomm Redefines Mobile Broadband with the Launch of the Qualcomm Dragonwing Fixed Wireless Access Gen 4 Elite
—The World’s First 5G-Advanced FWA Platform, Featuring On-Device AI-Enhanced Traffic Classification, 40 TOPS Edge AI Integration, and Surpasses Downlink Speeds up to 12.5 Gbps —
BARCELONA, March 3, 2025 – Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the Dragonwing™ FWA Gen 4 Elite, the world’s first 5G Advanced-capable FWA platform. Powered by the Qualcomm® X85 5G Modem-RF, the platform sets a new benchmark for 5G broadband performance with downlink speeds up to 12.5 Gbps. The Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite platform introduces comprehensive AI enhancements and integrates a powerful network Edge AI coprocessor with up to 40 TOPS of NPU processing power. This optimizes wireless connectivity across 5G broadband and Wi-Fi, while unlocking the power of generative AI for more devices, enabling a more reliable and harmonized user experiences.
“The Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite Platform is a technological breakthrough, building on over 500 5G FWA designs to date, and extends our tradition of delivering platforms that solve the broadband industry’s greatest challenges,” said Gautam Sheoran, vice president and general manager, wireless broadband and communications, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “By integrating unprecedented AI and connectivity capabilities, with the Qualcomm X85 at its core, this platform offers ultra-fast speeds, reliability and flexibility at a lower total cost than wired broadband, ultimately, enabling a future where seamless, intelligent networks transform the way we live and work.”
The Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite Platform breaks new ground for the FWA category by delivering up to 14 kilometers of long-range 5G mmWave performance, NTN Satellite communication capabilities, and Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) for high-performance aggregation, reliability, and remote management. The platform features a powerful quad- core processor with dedicated network acceleration for optimal performance across 5G cellular, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi
The Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite Platform is available and shipping now. For more details, please visit the product page. Attendees of MWC Barcelona can also visit the Qualcomm Booth 3E10 to see demonstrations and speak with Qualcomm representatives. About Qualcomm Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Building on our 40 years of technology leadership in creating era-defining breakthroughs, we deliver a broad portfolio of solutions built with our leading-edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Our Snapdragon® platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences, and our Qualcomm Dragonwing™ products empower businesses and industries to scale to new heights. Together with our ecosystem partners, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies.
At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patents are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm, FSM and Qualcomm Dragonwing are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.