The Qualcomm 6G coalition launched at MWC26 Barcelona on March 3, 2026, bringing together a broad group of technology, telecom, cloud, and device companies to accelerate 6G development and global rollout.
The initiative targets pre-commercial 6G systems by 2028, with commercial deployments beginning in 2029. The coalition spans operators and technology firms across multiple continents, representing a wide cross-section of the global telecommunications industry.
Qualcomm 6G Coalition Partners and Scope
Operator members include Airtel, BT Group, NTT DOCOMO, SK Telekom, Swisscom, Telstra, T-Mobile US, and Vittel. Technology and device partners include Amazon, Google, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, Dell, HPE, and Lenovo.
Additional partners aligned with the initiative include Alibaba, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and automotive manufacturers Hyundai, Li Auto, and Geely. The breadth of participation reflects the coalition’s aim to build a cross-industry ecosystem ahead of commercial launch.
Three Pillars of 6G Architecture
The coalition describes 6G as an artificial intelligence-native network built on three pillars: advanced connectivity, wide area sensing, and high-performance compute. Key technical elements include intelligent radios with integrated sensing, cloud- and virtualised-RAN architectures, and energy-efficient compute.
Furthermore, the design incorporates AI-driven network autonomy and distributed intelligence across devices, edge, and cloud. Qualcomm stated 6G will enable services such as AI-powered applications, low-altitude aerial and terrestrial traffic management, and large-scale analytics.
“6G is foundational for an AI-native future, and broad industry collaboration is essential to success.”
Cristiano Amon, CEO, Qualcomm
Coalition Goals and Milestones
The coalition aims to advance 6G standards, validate early systems, and demonstrate specification-compliant prototypes by 2028. It also plans to build readiness benchmarks and new business models to accelerate ecosystem adoption across the telecom sector.
Qualcomm described the shift to 6G as a transformational opportunity for the telecommunications sector, noting that the AI-native design distinguishes it from previous network generations.
X105 5G Modem: Specifications and Availability
Alongside the coalition, Qualcomm unveiled the X105 5G Modem-RF System, which the company states is the world’s first 3GPP Release 19-ready modem-RF system. The chip is designed to bridge current 5G-Advanced deployments and future 6G development and testing.
The X105 introduces a 6nm RF transceiver for improved power efficiency and a smaller footprint, quad-band GNSS with enhanced accuracy, and integrated NR-NTN support for satellite-based video, data, voice, and messaging. The system delivers peak downlink speeds of 14.8 Gb/s and uplink speeds of 4.2 Gb/s.
The modem uses agentic AI to optimise data traffic in real time, targeting improvements in gaming, video calling, and social media experiences. Qualcomm stated the architecture supports smartphones, fixed wireless access, mobile broadband, automotive, XR, PCs, robotics, and industrial IoT.
Global operator support for the X105 includes China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Telstra, T-Mobile US, and NTT Docomo. Qualcomm confirmed the modem is currently being sampled by customers, with commercial devices expected in the second half of 2026.