Australia gets first dibs on Gigabit LTE network and router

We're still years away before 5G fully goes live, so for now, Qualcomm continues to build on top of current 4G LTE technology to bridge the gap. The latest development on this end is the launch of the Netgear Mobile Router MR1100, which is the first mobile device to feature Gigabit LTE connectivity thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem. If all goes well, the lucky folks in Australia will be the first to use this device, as it'll be launched on world's first Gigabit LTE network courtesy of Telstra and Ericsson. According to Qualcomm's announcement at its summit today, Telstra will be launching its new speedy service "in the coming months," which means it could be this year or next year.

For the rest of us outside of Down Under, we're told that many more mobile devices -- especially smartphones -- will come packed with the same connectivity in the very near future, as the next-generation Snapdragon 800 series processor will integrate the same awesome X16 LTE modem, as teased by President of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies Cristiano Amon on the stage.

The exec added that the development of Gigabit LTE is both a natural progression and also complementary to 5G -- as in the two technologies will co-exist for at least several years. With the company's upcoming X50 5G modem designed to work alongside future Gigabit LTE-enabled Snapdragon processors, we can expect mobile download speeds between 1 Gbps and 5 Gbps to be the new standard for a good while. Let's just hope the carriers will be ready in time.