With AI traffic expected to surge, Qualcomm sees spectrum decisions made today shaping 6G leadership in the future

While the standards and technology needed to support commercial 6G launches in 2029 are moving with strong momentum, policy decisions regarding access to new spectrum are a constraint. Given that technological leadership can underpin broader economic and geopolitical advantage — and capacity expansion will be crucial as AI systems proliferate across consumer and enterprise segments — making 6G spectrum available in late 2029 should be treated as a pressing national matter. 

Qualcomm SVP of Spectrum Policy and Regulatory Counsel John Kuzin put it bluntly in an interview with RCR Wireless News: “The next generation of mobile is going to be critical to the next wave of economic growth…All major countries and regions of the world have recognized the importance of terrestrial wireless connectivity…It’s the only connectivity layer that can support a quality of service over a very wide region.”