Qualcomm has introduced the Qualcomm FSM90xx system-on-chip (SoC) for neighborhood and small and medium business (SMB) small cells. The FSM90xx has been designed and optimized to meet the cost targets and performance requirements of neighborhood and SMB segments. 

The FSM90xx is designed to provide specific features so that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can deliver the right form factor and application for the target use cases. The FSM90xx leverages LTE functionality from the FSM99xx, which was announced last year and is commercially available now. With access points (APs) based on this new small cell SoC, mobile operators, cable multiple systems operators (MSOs) and businesses can expand network capacity.

The FSM90xx brings LTE and Wi-Fi closer together by leveraging functionality of the Qualcomm® Internet Processor (IPQ). Hardware accelerators have been built into the chipset to speed up data processing for both radio technologies.

According to Qualcomm, the FSM90xx is based on 28nm technology and has been designed for easy integration with existing products, including residential broadband gateways and SMB Wi-Fi routers, so that software applications can take advantage of both cellular and Wi-Fi radios to deliver a better end-user experience.The FSM90xx is software compatible with the FSM99xx to allow OEMs to expand their product portfolios by leveraging their software investments in FSM99xx. 

To reduce interference and maintain high service quality for dense SMB and neighborhood small cell deployments, the FSM90xx integrates advanced self-organizing networks (SON) techniques through UltraSON™ software. The FSM90xx can be paired with Qualcomm Technologies’ RFICs (FTR8xxx) to support all LTE bands worldwide and maintains compatibility with the FSM99xx to further ease and speed OEM product development across both product lines.

The FSM90xx SoCs are expected to sample in the second half of 2014.