Qualcomm‘s new president said Monday his company is developing 5G technology so fast that it will begin to show up in mobile equipment by next year.
Cristiano Amon told a press conference at the giant annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that 5G will be available “earlier than anybody thought. We’re going to get 5G in a smartphone by 2019.”
5G stands for 5th generation wireless system and promises a tenfold increase in speed from the current 4G. For example, with 5G a full HD movie can be downloaded in a matter of seconds.
In addition to moving rapidly to 5G, Amon said San Diego-based Qualcomm is diversifying by targeting industries that can be disrupted by new technologies.
He announced new design wins in two major areas:
- For the automotive industry, Qualcomm is providing connected digital platforms for the Honda Accord, Jaguar and Land Rover models, and China’s BYD electric vehicles.
- In voice-enabled products, Qualcomm is providing technology platforms for Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortina and Google’s Assistant.
“We have been spending time over the past two years to diversity our company,” he said, adding that new segments like automotive and the “Internet of Things” could be worth billions of dollars in new sales.
Amon was named president of Qualcomm late last year. He previously developed the company’s wireless strategy in China.
