Quectel RG660Qx 5G module LGA version launched for railway communication testing

Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced a new LGA version of its RG660Qx 5G module series, a high-performance Sub-6GHz 5G platform that includes support for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). Paired with a dedicated evaluation environment, including an adaptor board and evaluation kit, the RG660Qx lets equipment manufacturers and railway technology developers begin early testing and evaluation of FRMCS, supporting development ahead of the industry's eventual transition away from the older GSM-R standard.

FRMCS is the next-generation railway communications standard being developed to replace GSM-R across European and international rail networks. Built on 5G technology, it's designed to provide secure, high-speed connectivity for train control, signaling, operational communications, and other mission-critical railway functions. As the railway industry moves toward this new standard, Quectel says it's investing early to give customers a reliable path through that transition.

To support 5G FRMCS testing, evaluation, and early interoperability work, Quectel developed this new LGA (land grid array) variant of the RG660Qx, supporting frequency bands n100 and n101, specific spectrum ranges used for FRMCS, paired with an evaluation kit designed to speed up device-level testing of FRMCS functionality. The module and evaluation kit will be made available to any customer who requests them once validation is complete, and Quectel says it also plans to engage with key players across the railway industry to begin early-stage testing.

Leo Yao, product head at Quectel Wireless Solutions, said FRMCS represents one of the most significant communications transitions the rail industry will go through in the coming years, and that Quectel wants its customers to be well prepared ahead of that shift. He said bringing an LGA variant and evaluation kit to market now lets customers begin 5G FRMCS evaluation, interoperability testing, and broader development work today, helping accelerate the industry's migration away from GSM-R.

The RG660Qx series is built on Qualcomm's X85 and X82 5G modem-RF systems, delivering Ethernet speeds of up to 10Gbps and Power Class 1.5 support for extended coverage, along with broad support for high-capacity fixed wireless access and enterprise networking use cases.