Qualcomm X85 5G Modem And Dragonwing FWA Unleash AI-Fueled 5G Advanced Wireless

At MWC, Qualcomm announced that it is expanding its 5G portfolio with the Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF and the Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite platform, which is the first major product under the company's new Dragonwing branding. While AI is sometimes just a buzzword, Qualcomm notes it's using machine learning to meaningfully improve 5G network efficiency and smartphone performance as well, thanks to the powerful Hexagon NPU integrated into the X85 modem that provides an assist for signal management and network traffic optimization and other services.


First up, the Qualcomm X85. This is the company's latest cellular modem, and according to Qualcomm, it brings multiple industry firsts including 400MHz downlink bandwidth, 3.7Gbps peak upload speeds, and "Turbo DSDA" (Dual SIM Dual Active) with 3CC+1CC carrier aggregation—which, in theory, should improve multi-carrier connectivity. Qualcomm also highlights an "AI-powered Data Traffic Engine", which it says dynamically optimizes network traffic for efficiency and reliability.

Like its predecessors, the X85 modem is set to power a range of devices, from smartphones and PCs to mobile broadband and industrial gateways. Qualcomm is also positioning it as a key component in the burgeoning Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) market—the idea of using 5G as an alternative to wired broadband.


On that note, the Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite is Qualcomm's first 5G Advanced-capable FWA platform and, according to the company, the most advanced solution of its kind. Built around the X85 modem, it's designed to offer downlink speeds in excess of 12Gbps, and a 14-kilometer mmWave range—a potentially significant step for rural and under-served areas—though real-world performance will ultimately depend on deployment conditions.

One of the more interesting aspects of both the Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite and the X85 modem that powers it is the potential for on-device AI, with a 40 TOPS AI engine that Qualcomm says helps optimize signal strength, manage network traffic, and improve overall quality of experience. The platform also supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7, giving it robust connectivity wherever it's deployed.


Qualcomm says that Fixed Wireless Access is gaining traction, and claims 500+ FWA designs in development while projecting 330 million global FWA subscribers by 2029. Whether those numbers pan out remains to be seen, but Qualcomm is clearly betting big on FWA as a viable alternative to fiber, particularly in areas where building out wired infrastructure isn't practical.

With X85 and Dragonwing FWA, Qualcomm is making the case that 5G's future isn't just about faster speeds, but smarter, AI-driven optimizations. How well these claims hold up in real-world usage is something we'll be keeping an eye on.