Cristiano Amon, the CEO of Qualcomm, has presented the company’s vision for 6G. According to Digital Daily’s reporter Kim Moon-ki, Amon highlighted that Qualcomm has already been preparing for the next generation of networks. As Qualcomm gears up for the 6G era, it is drawing upon its early commercialization of 5G as a stepping stone.
At the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit 2025 held on September 23 (local time) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Lahaina, Maui, Amon stated, “Our view of 6G extends beyond simply increasing speed and bandwidth. It will be an intelligent network integrating massive data transmission capabilities with sensor data and perception.” He added that this would enable a network of intelligence linking edge devices and the cloud, creating a whole new experience by blending the physical and digital worlds.
Qualcomm’s internal roadmap and published white papers emphasize the transition beyond 5G evolution to a wireless AI and intelligence-integrated network as a core aspect of future strategy. Qualcomm has sought a significant technological and business head start since the early commercialization of 5G, leading the ecosystem with its 5G modem series (such as X50, X55, and X60) and actively participating in the telecommunications standard-setting process to secure numerous Standard Essential Patents (SEPs). Notably, the 5G Advanced Release 18 technology document clearly indicates that the journey of 5G innovation is a process to strengthen the foundation for a 6G vision.
Moreover, Qualcomm is focused on technology standardization activities. In June, a 6G workshop was held at 3GPP, where Qualcomm sent a delegation to coordinate research directions and requirements for Release 20 standards. This workshop covered discussions on new radio, AI-based protocols, network architecture, and system design priorities.
Despite these developments, CEO Amon believes the timeline for new commercialization is not far off. He noted that Qualcomm is preparing to introduce pre-commercial 6G-based devices around 2028. From this point, AI is expected to operate simultaneously across the edge and the cloud, with context-aware intelligence becoming fully realized.
This vision has substantial grounding in reality, as many in the telecommunications industry anticipate the commercial launch of 6G in the early 2030s. The period before this is key for technology verification, pilot markets, and standard establishment, with Qualcomm already preparing accordingly for this timeframe.