Qualcomm recently announced that it will set up a COMET (Center for Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, and Testing) in Hsinchu, Taiwan, the Economic News reported on November 2. Being Qualcomm's first in the Asia Pacific region, this new COMET will be dedicated to 5G module design, mmWave testing, and biometric sensing technology development. There will be three subcenters under the COMET and all are slated for operations in the first quarter of 2019. The first will focus on 5G module design to help 5G smartphone overcome technical barriers to the commercialization as the current 4G smartphone antennas are unable to tap higher frequency radio bands of 5G. This will lower the barriers to enable Taiwan's SMEs to enter the 5G market without having to invest a fortune. The second one is the mmWave testing center through which Qualcomm hopes to build up a comprehensive ecosystem in Taiwan while the third subcenter will focus on the development of biometric sensing technology, including Qualcomm's ultrasonic fingerprint identification technology. Moreover, the company is also set to establish a multimedia R&D center and a mobile artificial intelligence facility in Taiwan sometime around 2019. Qualcomm’s COMET is designed to serve the company's global customers and its first one is located in California.