IT Home, November 6: At the 2026 Mobile Network Conference this week, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon stated that 6G will be natively AI-powered from the ground up, integrating AI directly into the network itself.
Anmon stated that, with network connectivity, contextual information can be continuously exchanged between endpoints, edges, and the cloud. AI will be directly integrated into wireless communication systems, enabling them to not only estimate channel conditions but also predict their changes, maintaining performance even with weak signals.
In addition, computation will be distributed across the entire network—from cell towers to the network edge and into data centers—allowing AI computation and inference tasks to be executed across different nodes in the network.
In September this year, Qualcomm and China Mobile completed the world's first interconnection test between a U6G band base station prototype and a 6G terminal prototype, based on the latest 3GPP specifications.
An Meng stated that this is a crucial step in moving 6G from technical research to system validation. Qualcomm and China Mobile are also jointly advancing native AI network technologies and new wireless communication capabilities, with the entire industry progressing toward the goal of launching commercial 6G services by 2029.
On November 5, at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE), Qualcomm demonstrated the world's first 6G terminal prototype.
This is Qualcomm's ninth consecutive year participating in the CIIE. This year, the highlight of the booth is the world’s first 6G terminal prototype compliant with the latest 3GPP specifications, making its public debut outside the laboratory.
The China International Import Bureau has labeled the prototype as a "hard technology exhibit" and "world premiere." The prototype has been used in joint 6G technology testing and interoperability verification with Chinese industry partners such as China Mobile and ZTE.
At Qualcomm’s Global 6G Analyst and Media Day in August this year, Durga Malladi, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Edge Solutions and Data Center Business at Qualcomm, gave an exclusive interview to media outlets including IT Home, providing detailed insights into Qualcomm’s 6G strategy and data center positioning.
As global communication technology accelerates its evolution toward the 6G era, the boundaries between communications, artificial intelligence, and computing industries are rapidly dissolving, bringing about dual transformations in technological paradigms and business models.
Compared to the 5G era’s focus on expanding mobile broadband, 6G, scheduled for commercial deployment in 2029, is defined by AI-native design, integrated communication and sensing, and ubiquitous computing coordination, reshaping terminal forms, network architecture, and industry ecosystems, becoming a core battleground for global tech giants.
In terms of terminal form, Madjia believes that the 6G era will give rise to a new category of devices, which he calls "AI agents," and notes that this trend has already emerged in China.