2020 was a challenging year for everyone.  We had to grapple with how to keep the global economy moving, how to meet critical healthcare needs, how to educate our children and how to support our global communities.

It has become clear that wireless technologies, and 5G in particular, are crucial to addressing these challenges and will be central to creating a better future - it is the technologies from the mobile and cloud industries that have kept us connected and productive.

At Qualcomm, we’ve had to face these challenges like everyone else. For example, we quickly transitioned over 85% of our employees to working from home around the world, while implementing protocols to keep our essential workers safe in our labs.

Our employees were resilient and remained productive.  I was pleased to see how they met the challenge, even as they faced personal challenges resulting from the pandemic, such as how to safely transition back to work in China.  We remain focused because our team believes in the profound impact of wireless technologies and their importance to the global economy and communities.

At Qualcomm, we believe that 5G will have an impact much like the widespread deployment of electricity. It will extend the benefits of the Internet to more people and businesses to enrich our lives. The possibilities are limitless.

5G and AI promise to increase access to healthcare and improve outcomes. 5G-enabled medical robots, high quality video streaming for first responders, and always available cloud services hold huge promise to build resiliency in the face of health challenges presented by aging societies.

2020 also highlighted the global disparities caused by the digital divide… and the clear need for policy makers and the wireless ecosystem to come together to address this gap. Qualcomm believes widespread access to 5G offers solutions to some of the greatest challenges we’re facing.

Fixed Wireless Access provides a cost-effective way to deliver fiber-like internet speeds over mmWave to schools, hospitals and town halls, and to address “last mile” challenges in rural areas. We are pleased that China began mmWave testing last year and will continue the test this year.

China’s 2035 vision and the key development objectives of the 14th Five-year Plan will foster new economic and social drivers for China. 5G will be a key part of this plan, allowing Chinese ecosystem to connect virtually everyone and everything to help create more resilient communities and economies.

To accelerate the development of the IoT and help the Chinese ecosystem capitalize on global opportunities, we’ve worked with a wide range of companies in China to jointly launch the "5G IoT Innovation Initiative," which is committed to expediting 5G innovation in device design, ecosystem cooperation, and digital transformation.

Another way Qualcomm is helping to close the digital divide is through our Qualcomm Wireless Reach initiative, which have benefited more than 1 million people in China over the last 14 years. This includes providing mobile devices to teachers and students in rural areas seeking to learn remotely during the pandemic in 2020 in China.

Qualcomm also supported China with an early donation, including purchasing aid materials and negative pressure ambulances to support critically ill patients in Hubei. Making technology more affordable, available, and security-focused is key to driving the Digital Economy in the coming years and building a more resilient world.

2020 was a challenging year.  But it also has reminded us that when we work together, we can achieve great things.

With 5G, we've only begun to imagine the new services, experiences and industries that this powerful connectivity platform will enable.

I look forward to continued collaborations with the ecosystem in China… to help China and the world move forward into a promising future.

Thank you.

2021/03/15