Qualcomm urges US to use spectrum allocations for 6G leadership

Industry leader Qualcomm warns that meeting statutory deadlines alone will not secure US dominance in 6G, calling for accelerated spectrum allocations and cross-agency action to unlock transformative societal benefits by 2029.

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act, which became law earlier this year, set a statutory timetable for identifying and auctioning 800 MHz of licensed mobile spectrum by 2034 , but industry leaders warn that statutory deadlines alone will not secure U.S. leadership in 6G. According to the original report, Qualcomm says at least 600 MHz of full‑power mid‑band spectrum must be made ready for nationwide 6G deployments by 2029 if the United States is to keep pace with other major markets that have already earmarked bands for next‑generation services. ^[1][2]

That 2029 target is driven in part by standards and equipment timelines: the 6G standard is expected to be completed in early 2029, with interoperable, standards‑based equipment becoming available later that year. Industry data shows successful 6G rollouts will demand contiguous channels up to 400 MHz wide to meet escalating mobile data needs driven by AI, extended reality and immersive services. The OBBB Act allocates $50 million to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to study opening several mid‑band ranges , notably 2.7–2.9 GHz, 4.4–4.9 GHz and 7.25–7.4 GHz , for full‑power mobile services. ^[1]

Qualcomm and other industry players are positioning spectrum readiness as a prerequisite to unlock the “transformative societal benefits” 6G promises, from advanced healthcare monitoring and automotive systems to public safety sensing and industrial digital twins. The company stresses that mobile spectrum is the lifeblood of innovation, and that timely access will determine how quickly new services, jobs and productivity gains materialise. Qualcomm says it and its partners are prepared to work with NTIA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and federal spectrum incumbents to accelerate relocations, sharing studies and other remedies needed to make bands deployment‑ready. ^[1][2]

The company argues the U.S. government should broaden NTIA’s studies to include mid‑band spectrum above 7.4 GHz and involve all spectrum stakeholders now, rather than treating band assessments in isolation. Where sharing proves infeasible, Qualcomm suggests that auction proceeds could be used to compensate incumbents and finance relocations or equipment upgrades , a practical approach industry observers say could speed repurposing while preserving critical federal capabilities. The original report calls for an additional 600 MHz of full‑power mobile spectrum to be opened by 2034, summing to roughly 1,200 MHz below 10 GHz to support two waves of 6G deployment. ^[1]

Qualcomm’s appeal for accelerated spectrum availability is underscored by the company’s recent strategic moves and expanding role beyond modem silicon. The company points to four decades of R&D , investments it says exceed $100 billion , and a widening portfolio that now spans on‑device AI, data‑centre compute and AI inference accelerators. Reuters reporting on Qualcomm’s recent activity , from launching an AI R&D centre in Vietnam to its planned acquisitions and re‑entry into data‑centre CPUs and AI accelerators , illustrates how the firm is preparing chipsets and compute stacks that would pair with broad 6G coverage and capacity. Such capabilities, Qualcomm and analysts argue, strengthen the case for early spectrum access because they make it possible to exploit wide channels and hybrid cloud/edge AI architectures at scale. ^[3][5][6][7]

Technical advances that Qualcomm has recently shipped or announced provide context for its spectrum urgency. The company has integrated enhanced generative AI capabilities into its mobile SoCs and unveiled next‑generation inference hardware aimed at data centres, signalling a pivot to tighter integration of high‑performance, low‑power compute with advanced wireless connectivity. Industry reporting notes commitments from major device makers to Qualcomm’s flagship chips and outlines plans for AI‑focused accelerators that will demand robust, low‑latency mobile links and substantial contiguous bandwidth once 6G devices and networks are ready. The company frames these developments as evidence the market is ready to move if policymakers open sufficient mid‑band spectrum on the timetable it recommends. ^[4][7]

Practical near‑term markers are already influencing policy thinking. Qualcomm and its mobile industry partners are backing NTIA efforts to enable early 6G demonstrations at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, viewing the Games as an opportunity to trial technologies and validate sharing or relocation approaches ahead of the broader 2029 objective. According to the original report, success at such high‑profile demonstrations could provide lessons for nationwide spectrum mobilisation and help build momentum for opening the larger tranche of bands required by 2034. ^[1][2]

If the United States pursues the accelerated schedule Qualcomm and others advocate , mobilising roughly 600 MHz for initial deployments by the end of the decade and preparing a further 600 MHz for the following five years , it would address both near‑term competitive pressures and the long‑term capacity needs of AI‑driven services. However, realising that outcome will require coordinated action across federal agencies, clear relocation or sharing plans for incumbents, and sustained industry‑government collaboration to align standards, equipment readiness and auction timelines. The company says it stands ready to participate in that effort; industry observers note the window for decisive action is rapidly narrowing. ^[1][2][3]

##Reference Map:

• ^[1] (RCR Wireless) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 7
• ^[2] (Qualcomm onQ) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 7
• ^[3] (Reuters) – Paragraph 5, Paragraph 8
• ^[4] (Reuters) – Paragraph 6
• ^[5] (Reuters) – Paragraph 5
• ^[6] (Reuters) – Paragraph 5
• ^[7] (Tom’s Hardware) – Paragraph 6

Source: Fuse Wire Services