How Qualcomm Technologies is collaborating to transform connected spaces and smart cities

At Qualcomm Technologies, we're dedicated to delivering transformative connectivity to all facets of our lives, from devices that fit in the palm of our hands to our communities at large. Cities and the industries that thrive in them have already started adopting new technologies at an exciting pace, and the pandemic only accelerated the need for digital transformation. Now, connectivity - and in a growing number of cases, 5G- and AIare working together to support IoT and connected spaces in smart citiesacross the globe.

To help communities, governments, and businesses come together to power these large-scale connectivity projects, we offer a host of technology solutions and collaborative initiatives. We're inventing the technologies that are making these transformations possible, but also bringing together the entire ecosystem of private and public players to help shape our connected spaces.

One offering we're particularly excited about is our Qualcomm IoT Services Suite, which provides end-to-end IoT as a Service (IoTaaS) solutions for smart cities and other verticals, including education, construction, logistics, and healthcare. One of the major challenges for cities working toward digital transformation is the fragmented nature of the IoT industry, so we specifically designed this suite to bridge the gap with solutions that work out of the box. By moving beyond components and up the stack, we're supporting our customers to deploy faster and more seamlessly.

Already, we're proving out this approach alongside collaborators through projects like the Qualcomm Smart Campusin San Diego. The campus features our commercially available end-to-end solutions and replicates what happens in a full-scale smart city or smart connected space, albeit in a miniature version. This includes IoT-enabled lighting, parking, transportation, edge-AI security, and other logistics that can be viewed, managed, and controlled via sensors and our command center. All data is analyzed in real time and can be turned into actionable insights almost instantly.

These types of capabilities fulfill business and logistical needs, but can offer societal benefits, too. Connected infrastructure - like traffic lights, transportation, parking, and waste removal - can keep our cities cleaner, safer, and running more efficiently. Additionally, IoT technologies can transform community spaces like parks, libraries, and schools, and also play a crucial role in creating more equitable access to remote education and healthcare. Consider telemedicine, for example, which became more important than ever during the pandemic. With Qualcomm Connected Healthcare, we're collaborating with industry-leading healthcare companies to innovate and develop scalable end-to-end healthcare technologies. By making it more cost effective for hospitals and care providers to implement connected health solutions, we can work together to help break down access barriers.

Overall, we see collaboration as the key ingredient for bringing these connected spaces to life. Technology companies and governments need to work together to accelerate the benefits of smart city technology for the entire ecosystem. From CIOs, CTOs, and system integrators to city managers, OEMs, and mobile operators, everyone has a unique role to play. It's why we created the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program, which is designed to bring together cities, municipalities, government agencies, and enterprises to improve time-to-implementation, increase businesses opportunities, and help make smart city visions a reality.

And of course, it's intelligent and connected technologies that are making all this possible. Our full suite of wide- and local-area connectivity processing technologies include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G LTE, and small cells, and we're particularly excited for the growing role 5G, AI, and edge computing can play. The expansion of 5G supports and accelerates the advancements of these technologies and can jump-start industry trends and innovations utilizing existing infrastructure. 5G-powered mIoT (massive IoT) can address the low-power, wide-area Internet of Things, and the low latency and ultra-reliability enabled by 5G can power mission critical applications and emergency services. 5G also enables flexible deployment capability for the benefit of all communities, including densely populated city neighborhoods and connecting the last mile to rural areas.

The IoT starts with Qualcomm Technologies

As the demand for IoT and smart city technologies rises, we're excited to play a key part in making the technological breakthroughs, enabling customers, and driving collaboration between the tech industry and governments. Together, 5G and AI will soon transform industries, and enrich lives through new connected spaces in our communities and cities.

Join us at the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerate 2021 event September 28 - 29th.

Learn more about the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program and Smart Cities Suite.