The Qualcomm boss has predicted that 5G networks should experience an even bigger explosion in the coming years than expected, as more and more terminals with the latest technologies are commercialized. Speaking at the company's Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, Qualcomm Chairman Cristiano Amon outlined some ambitious goals as the company looks to provide 5G connectivity around the world. Amon said that currently 325 operators in 109 countries around the world are already investing in 5G and that "significant 5G coverage" is certainly possible by the end of 2021.
Future 5G
Amon noted that 5G already brings a wide range of benefits to users around the world, who enjoy faster connectivity speeds for enhanced browsing, video streaming and gaming. But 5G can also bring benefits to the world through the Internet of Things, such as public safety, traffic management, and smart energy use. But it's in mobile where 5G will be essential at first, and Qualcomm wants to be the catalyst. "A year ago, we were talking about the future of 5G," Amon said, "the amount of progress we've made is incredible." "2020 will be the year of scale for 5G," said Amon, introducing major partners such as Nokia and Verizon to showcase the company's 5G ecosystem. Qualcomm expects 200 million 5G subscribers worldwide by the end of 2020, as more and more devices come with the necessary hardware, but that number is expected to skyrocket over the next year. The next few years Amon said Qualcomm forecast 1.400 billion shipments of 5G smartphones by 2022 and that by 2025, there would be 2.800 billion 5G connections worldwide, thus providing reliable and fast Internet connections for users around the world.