Telecommunications supplier Qualcomm is among the founding partners of a new alliance slated to “develop foundational 6G technologies” in the United States.
Verizon unveiled its 6G Innovation Forum just days before Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon announced that his company will have pre-commercial devices operating on 6G internet by 2028. The forum named Qualcomm and Meta as founding partners in device and chipset innovation.
Ericsson, Samsung Electronics, and Nokia are additional founding partners due to their roles as network vendors. Qualcomm’s integrated circuit products are only available on Android devices.
John Smee, Qualcomm’s global head of wireless, said the company was chosen as a founding partner because it is leading the innovation of 6G connectivity.
“Qualcomm’s always been driving wireless very hard,” Smee told the Washington Examiner. “We are obviously a company that did huge amounts of work from 2G to 3G, 3G to 4G, and now driving us into the 5G world we live in today.”
A 6G network would allow other smart devices to connect to the internet independently of smartphones. Smee said this could enable “new types of augmented virtual reality, new types of connected smartphones, smart watches, [and] wearable medical” devices.
Verizon plans to launch 6G Labs in Los Angeles, near Qualcomm’s San Diego headquarters. According to a Verizon press release, these labs will “serve as hubs for collaborative research, prototyping, and early lab and field trials.”
“I think it’s a great proof point here in the United States of that importance and continued focus on cellular as we begin this 5G journey into 6G,” Smee said.
This alliance comes seven years after Qualcomm’s failed merger with Singapore-based Broadcom during President Donald Trump’s first term. A merger with Intel has been discussed, though Smee did not comment on the matter.
QUALCOMM ANTICIPATES HAVING DEVICES RUN ON 6G IN 2028
“Qualcomm’s always been a technology innovator, and we work with every administration you know that’s been around in the past and obviously even into the future,” Smee said. “We obviously look forward to continued discussions with the Trump administration.”
Intel narrowly avoided losing CEO Lip-Bu Tan after Trump publicly called for his resignation over ties to China. Tan negotiated with Trump, resulting in Intel agreeing to give the U.S. government a 10% equity stake in the company.