Qualcomm has announced its ambitious plans for the development of 6G wireless technology, with the company set to showcase key innovations at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona. As the race toward next-generation networks intensifies, Qualcomm is focusing on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance network performance, coverage, and capacity, all while gearing up for the standardization of 6G technology.
Qualcomm’s 6G Vision: AI-Driven Networks
At the core of Qualcomm’s 6G vision is a network designed to integrate AI at every level. The company envisions a future where wireless networks can adjust in real-time based on conditions like traffic load, interference, and user mobility. This native AI system could revolutionize the way networks operate, adapting dynamically to provide optimal performance tailored to each user’s device and application.
Qualcomm’s immediate focus for 2025 is on improving two key capabilities in wireless networks: coverage and capacity. With AI at its heart, these networks would continuously learn and adapt, ensuring efficiency even in the most demanding scenarios. This AI-powered approach would allow for more robust and personalized network performance.
AI and Devices Working Together
To realize this vision, Qualcomm is concentrating on the collaboration between networks and devices, both using AI to enhance their capabilities. The company is already developing a two-sided AI-enhanced channel state feedback (CSF) within 5G Advanced, a networking technology that introduces AI and machine learning (ML) improvements across radio access networks (RAN), network cores, and management layers.
5G Advanced, which debuted last year with the 3GPP Release 18, is seen as an essential step toward the standardization of 6G technology. This move will ensure a smoother transition from 5G to the future 6G networks, ultimately improving connectivity and performance across various applications.
Upgrading MIMO Systems for 6G
Another major focus for Qualcomm is enhancing its MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) systems to support new spectrum in the “FR3” midband (7-15 GHz), proposed by the World Radio Conference in 2023. This midband will deliver an additional 400 MHz of wide-area bandwidth, a crucial factor for the expansion of 6G networks.
The company has conducted extensive testing on the new FR3 Giga-MIMO system and reports significant improvements in throughput and coverage, with results comparable to the existing sub-7 GHz spectrum. Qualcomm is working closely with spectrum regulators to ensure that the FR3 band is ready for 6G deployment in the coming years.
Collaboration with Industry Leaders
To demonstrate the benefits of its innovations, Qualcomm has teamed up with industry giants like Nokia Bell Labs and Rohde & Schwarz. These collaborations aim to showcase the scalability and potential of Qualcomm’s AI-enhanced air interface design, which could revolutionize the way 6G networks are built and deployed.
Looking Ahead
As Qualcomm pushes forward with its 6G development, it is clear that the company is preparing to reshape the future of wireless connectivity. By integrating AI across both networks and devices, Qualcomm hopes to deliver faster, more reliable, and personalized experiences for users worldwide. The upcoming MWC 2025 will offer the first glimpse of these groundbreaking innovations, setting the stage for the next wave of wireless technology.
With these efforts, Qualcomm is laying the groundwork for a future where 6G is not just a technical advancement but a transformative force that could redefine how we connect, work, and live in the digital age.
