Recently at the "60th Anniversary IC60 Special Exhibition" held in Taiwan, MediaTek showcased its 5G testing prototype, equipped with the MediaTek M70 baseband, which is built on TSMC's 7nm process and has shown significant improvements in heat control.

It is reported that MediaTek has invested in 5G research and development for five years, aiming to turn complex 5G technology into chips the size of fingertips. The exhibition showcased the 5G prototype as a milestone achievement for its previous generation of chips.

MediaTek's 5G prototype is not a standalone device but a product system composed of multiple devices, as the development of 5G technology involves overcoming a series of technical challenges from the transmission end to the terminal.

According to previously released information, the Helio M70 supports 5G NR new air interface and complies with 3GPP Release 15 standalone networking specifications, with a high download speed of up to 5Gbps, which will supply 5G chips for smartphones in 2019.

MediaTek did not provide detailed technical specifications for this prototype, only stating that this demonstration is a prototype used for engineering testing, allowing engineers to experience the feasibility of new 5G technology, correct potential communication errors, and test whether the design circuit can achieve speed targets. Therefore, the two "windows" left on the back cover of the phone are used to connect with the testing platform.

MediaTek also pointed out that due to the much faster transmission speed of 5G compared to 4G, a large amount of heat is generated during circuit operation. Therefore, the prototype uses multiple fans for heat dissipation, but the final 5G commercial device will feature MediaTek's unique low-power design, eliminating the need for fans.

MediaTek stated that over the past five years, thousands of people have been invested in 5G-related research and development, participating in the formulation and decision-making of 5G standards, and have successively obtained multiple core technology patents in 5G, keeping pace with other major chip design companies.

At the MWC 2018 conference in February this year, MediaTek signed a cooperation memorandum for the "5G Terminal Pioneer Program" with many partners including Huawei, Nokia, China Mobile, and NTT Docomo, promoting the commercialization of 5G by 2020.

MediaTek's Vice Chairman, Xie Qingjiang, stated that in the future, 5G will not only increase mobile internet speeds by ten times but will also have a groundbreaking impact on various fields of technology such as cloud computing, the Internet of Vehicles, and the Internet of Things.

Currently, various manufacturers have launched their own 5G basebands, including Qualcomm Snapdragon X50, Intel XMM 8060, Huawei Balong 5000, MediaTek Helio M70, and Samsung Exynos Modem 5100, while mass-produced devices based on 5G communication will officially go on sale in 2019.