Qualcomm has unveiled its first mmWave 5G antenna for smartphones, signalling that ultrafast gigabit mobile broadband is on the way.

The chipmaker’s QTM052 antenna modules are claimed to be the first 5G antennas designed to work with mobile phones and can work across a variety of spectrum bands.

According to Qualcomm, the new modules can tap into the sub-6GHz RF bands and the new 5G radio millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum.

The company says its use of a quad-array of antennas, which can be dotted around a smartphone, along with beamforming and tracking technologies, has “drastically” improved the range and reliability of mmWave signals.

A smartphone with the new antenna modules should always be able to find the nearest 5G tower, it adds.