Last week I virtually attended the Qualcomm 5G Summit 2020, which is their annual conference where they talk about what they have accomplished in the past year, where they are today and what their plans are going forward. Let me share a few key takeaways from this annual briefing.
The Qualcomm 5G Summit is always very impressive, and this year was no exception. Among others, one important slice of the pie is their expansion into the 5G network infrastructure marketplace.
Qualcomm announced new chips and software that will be less expensive to wireless carriers to build their 5G networks compared to what they use today.
Currently companies like Ericsson and Huawei are in this market. Like all companies in this wireless space, Qualcomm is both a partner and competitor.
5G wireless is enormous growth opportunity
5G represents the next generation of wireless and is an enormous growth opportunity for many companies. It impacts every sector including wireless networks, smartphones, tablets, other devices and more.
In fact, this time it also impacts other industries like telehealth, healthcare, self-driving cars or connected cars as well as many others.
5G growth opportunity in public and private networks
And there are plenty of growth opportunities in both public and private wireless networks like AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, and in 5G networks for companies and governments, worldwide.
Qualcomm is a key player in all of 5G wireless. They are one of the most important companies in the space. They bring networks, smartphones, tablets and everything wireless up-to-speed.
5G is the next step in their journey and it has only just begun. There are many different slices of the wireless network that Qualcomm is focusing on.
Qualcomm in 5G network infrastructure market
The 5G network infrastructure market is one of the important areas Qualcomm will focus on going forward.
When the average person thinks of Qualcomm, they think Snapdragon, chips, modems and more inside of iPhone, Android and Samsung Galaxy devices.
However, they are much more important and more expansive that that. They are a player in more slices than most realize.
Qualcomm in network and handset side of 5G
In fact, they are one of the few, most important key providers of technology on both handsets and network technology of 5G wireless.
Networks like AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and countless others globally use their technology to bring 5G to reality.
Smartphone and tablet makers like Apple, Google, Samsung and every other piece of 5G technology also uses Qualcomm technology so everything works well together.
This was a very smart move the company made decades ago. They started out as a handset competitor and transitioned into an important core player in the wireless industry so every network and every handset maker could be a customer of theirs.
Qualcomm sees 5G network infrastructure as multi-billion-dollar opportunity
Qualcomm is not only focused on these core areas, but they are also always expanding. Now, the 5G network infrastructure marketplace is on their radar.
This is a multi-billion-dollar growth opportunity for them. The opportunity goes beyond traditional wireless. It will go to other industries which will use 5G in their growth and transformation.
This base station chip and software sector is of great importance to every wireless carrier worldwide, and Qualcomm has the ability to deliver this product and software set.
Apple’s iPhone 12 uses Qualcomm mmWave technology
In fact, all four of the new Apple iPhone 12 models use Qualcomm millimeter wave technology. This is another important area for the company.
It seems as time passes, Qualcomm continues to expand deeper into the 5G wireless world on a global basis.
Qualcomm has been rapidly growing during the 5G transformation. Now they are expanding that marketplace which they operate in.
Qualcomm is one of the most important players in 5G wireless today
That means they are becoming even more important to wireless carriers, handset makers and other industries jumping into the 5G space like healthcare and automated driving.
I expect Qualcomm to stay on this growth track over the next decade. I think we should expect them to continue to grow and expand their market area even further as time passes.
Based on what I learned at the Qualcomm 5G Summit 2020, I believe they will continue to be one of the key leaders in the rapidly growing and changing 5G wireless space.
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