5G-Advanced is paving the way for 6G, with AI-driven enhancements, expanded IoT capabilities, and evolving network efficiencies. Lorenzo Casaccia, VP of Technical Standards at Qualcomm, explains how industry collaboration within 3GPP—where over 500 companies contribute—ensures that global standards support next-generation use cases. These include mobile broadband, satellite communications, public safety, and automotive applications.
The transition to 6G isn’t a sudden shift but a continuous evolution, where innovation, competition, and collaboration shape the technology. Qualcomm plays a key role in driving this progress, ensuring future networks are built for both traditional and emerging applications. Learn how standardization is fueling the next era of connectivity.
Alejandro:
All right. Welcome back everyone to the FNTV studio here at MWC Barcelona. My name is Alejandro Pinero, I'm your host, and my commitment to keeping my glasses on until the wind stops howling remains.
Well, I'm very excited to be with Lorenzo Casaccia from Qualcomm to talk about standards. Lorenzo, thank you so much for dropping by today.
Lorenzo:
Thank you for having me.
Alejandro:
Absolutely. So Lorenzo, before we start talking about the future, let's talk about where we are now and how that's driving the innovation towards 6G. Does 5G, 5G- Advanced, are those the building blocks for 6G? How do you look at it?
Lorenzo:
Yeah, absolutely. 5G, 5G-Advanced are building blocks for 6G. Way to look at it is to start from where all of these technologies are being developed. There is a standard organization called 3GPP, which of course is very important for Qualcomm. Qualcomm sends maybe hundred delegates to 3GPP. It's huge. And it is the organization that is responsible for producing 3G, 4G, 5G, and then 6G standards.
It operates with releases, very much like releases of operating systems in your phone. And every year and a half there's a new release. So there is a process of continuous improvement. And now we are around the so-called release 19, if you can believe that, and going into release 20. And that's 5G-Advanced. And 5G-Advanced covers a variety of evolution tracks for 5G, including topics like using artificial intelligence for improving the wireless system or using artificial intelligence in the radio access management or going into very low-power, low-impact small devices, so-called ambient IoT. So things very much at different ends of the spectrum and many other improvements along those dimensions.
And all of these will be building blocks towards 6G. So it's not like there is 5G and then people go on holidays and then come back for 6G, but it's really a process of continuous improvement and learning and feedback loops that brings you from 5G to 6G.
Alejandro:
Absolutely. Although we could figure that out, then that'd be great for you, right? You come back every few years.
Lorenzo:
Thanks. Absolutely.
Alejandro:
Lorenzo, let me ask you about what use cases do you see will drive that 6G adoption and perhaps before we even get to adoption, are we building standards with those in mind?
Lorenzo:
Yeah, of course. I think in standards there is a luxury to try to address a large number of use cases, of course based on feedback from participating companies. And then the market will decide if, when, and which modality, which use cases will take on. Actually, it's a good moment to also mention in 3GPP there's over 500 companies that are members. So it's really an enormous organization. Of course, there are companies that they have a massive commitment like Qualcomm, but then there are companies from all sectors. And even these distribution of memberships, which from all over the world, is a good testament of the diversity of use cases.
So what we have for 6G is two families of use cases. One, it's more traditional mobile communication, which is mobile broadband, a lot of speed and feeds and ability to do more and more computing on mobile devices. Can be your phones, can be laptops, or can be devices, ideations to the phone, or even using the 6G network as a so-called fixed wireless access. So in lieu of cable or DSL or things like that, so just get internet access.
But then there is a second family of use cases, which indeed has started from 5G and will continue to 6G, which is using the same technology of the cellular networks to go into different use cases. So satellite communications, incorporating cellular systems, or media broadcasting, very much like media production of this studio, or IoT or automotive or public safety, first responders, critical communications. All of these are ideation tendencies that will also drive 6G.
Alejandro:
Lorenzo, we're just about out of time, but before we finish, I did want to ask you about what you were talking about there, about the community. You mentioned Qualcomm is a hundred delegates to 3GPP, over 500 companies involved in building these standards. Why does that matter?
Lorenzo:
Well, thank you for the question. It's a very interesting question. Very close to my heart. Standardization, especially this type of standardization is a mix of collaboration and competition. It's very much a marketplace of idea. Everybody can come to 3GPP. Membership is very easy. All the documents are on the internet. Meetings are very open. And the best idea is selected.
So really it's somewhat competitive of course among companies for the best ideas. But at the same time, all of the participating companies share the same interest in evolving technology. So there is also a sense of collaboration, of shared purpose, of shared mission. And because of this, there's also a third aspect. Delegates typically are committed to standards for many years in a row is really a core part of their careers in many cases. And they establish a human relationship even with the delegates of competing companies. And that is a human touch of standardization that personally I'm very fond of and gives a special flavor to all of the standard ecosystem.
Alejandro:
Excellent. Well, Lorenzo, thank you again for dropping by Fierce Network TV here in Barcelona and we look forward to continuing to hear about all the great work with standards.
Lorenzo:
Well, thank you for having me. It was a lot of fun.