Qualcomm CEO, Steven Mollenkopf in Korea.

"Although the 5 generation (G) mobile communication age look like a distant future, it is approaching faster than we thought. 5G will give us new possibilities by enabling things that could not be provided by existing networks such as self-driving car and mass Internet of Things etc."

Qualcomm has identified 5G as a new growth engine and has set a vision to move beyond mobile to take a 5G all-around initiative.

It is anticipated that the opportunities for the introduction of telecommunication networks will increase by nearly five times as the convergence of Internet connectivity is taking place in various industries such as self-driving car, health care, and Internet of Things fields (IoT).

Steven Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on May 11, said, "The world business opportunity will expand thanks to 5G. Music and other business sectors are also experiencing sales growth. "

CEO Mollenkopf mentioned NXP, a Dutch automotive semiconductor company as an example of industrial change strategy.

Qualcomm announced its acquisition of NXP in October last year at USD 47 billion. "With the NXP acquisition, Qualcomm is now able to offer new products and services," he said. "We think it will increase the chances of securing non-telecom customers."

The company expected NXP acquisition to be completed by the end of the year. He said the US regulatory approval process was also processed smoothly. "We were informed that we had passed the review process a month ago from the regulatory authorities," he said. "We expect positive results in other countries and regions that are awaiting approval as we passed without further information in the United States.”

He also expects operators to increase their business opportunities with 5G along with Qualcomm.

During his visit to Korea, he has met with Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics officials to discuss the development direction of 5G.

"In the case of telecommunication companies, the introduction of 5G enables us to provide services that were only available in the past in the cable only, and it also enables Internet of Things services that require massive stability," he said. “Thanks to 5G, not only large companies but also small companies’ business field will be expanded.”

He showed confidence on the newest mobile application processor (AP) `Snapdragon 835`. The Snapdragon 835 is installed to the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is sold in North America and China.

He said, "Snapdragon 835 is one of the most advanced products ever made by Qualcomm. Snapdragon 835 is applied not only to smartphones but also to virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) goggle”.

Qualcomm is the leading provider of 5G communications chips.

World telecommunication companies, and smartphone manufacturers are focusing on developing and standardizing various technologies to accelerate the commercialization of 5G.

He said, "Many companies need to work hard in order for large-scale industry change on 5G to take place. We have been working closely with Korean companies such as SK Telecom, KT, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics for over 20 years and we will strengthen our cooperation in 5G era."

By Jung Yoon Hee yuni@


[ copyright ⓒ The Digitaltimes ]