Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced its industry-leading Gobi™ 4G/LTE modem, the MDM9215™, has been implemented in the SoftBank 102Z, a new mobile broadband router for Japan. The device, designed by Chinese telecommunications provider ZTE, represents the second generation of Gobi-powered 4G/LTE products from SoftBank Mobile and the first to feature MDM9x15™ chipsets built on the 28nm manufacturing process.

"Fast, reliable wireless connectivity has become more important than ever in today's mobile environment," said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm. "Gobi wireless modems are enabling smaller, more efficient products and devices that can quickly and seamlessly connect across 3G and 4G/LTE networks."

The MDM9x15 chipset, which is part of Qualcomm's Gobi family of modems, offers many benefits to device manufactures and - in addition to the SoftBank 102Z - is being designed into more than 90 products from more than 30 different OEMs across the globe. Qualcomm's design and optimizations in the MDM9x15 chipset allowed ZTE to launch the product with SoftBank Mobile only two months after Qualcomm delivered the commercial sample chipset.

"In addition to the SoftBank 102Z, we are excited to be collaborating with Qualcomm to develop many other important LTE data products for leading carriers worldwide," said Ding Ning, vice president at ZTE.

The MDM9x15 chipset, as compared with previous generation LTE solutions, uses 30 percent less power and enables product designs with 30 percent less printed circuit board area, allowing for smaller and thinner form factors, while its multimode capability enables seamless connectivity between LTE TDD and DC-HSDPA networks so devices can connect locally or globally on the fastest available 3G or 4G/LTE network.

Additionally, the MDM9x15 chipset features an integrated application processor that allows OEMs to efficiently develop and integrate value-added services, including hotspot functionality when the mobile access point feature is used, further reducing power requirements and cost. In the case of the SoftBank 102Z, a mobile broadband router was fully implemented in connection with the chipset, allowing for 3G/4G connectivity to be shared by up to 10 devices via Wi-Fi.