Can Qualcomm's 6G Push With Ericsson Collaboration Fuel Its Shares?

Qualcomm Incorporated QCOM advanced its 6G efforts by expanding its partnership with Ericsson ERIC to coordinate on key radio technologies and validate them through joint lab prototypes. The joint effort signals meaningful progress toward future 6G standards and commercialization.

The collaboration moved beyond concepts and built key physical-layer technologies in a prototype system, including a 400 MHz component carrier with 30 kHz subcarrier spacing for 3GPP Release 20. Initial work in the 6-8 GHz centimeter-wave band also shows potential for improved cell-edge performance with devices featuring four transmit-receive antennas.

In addition to radio technology, both companies are also testing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences with new devices and stronger infrastructure to support AI-native 6G networks with improved uplink coverage and wide-area performance.

The shift toward continuous, multi-device agentic AI workloads is driving higher demands for uplink capacity. Per Ericsson’s latest ConsumerLab report, daily use of agentic AI could reach 40% of consumers by 2030, with uplink data demand expected to triple every five years, highlighting the need for next-generation network performance. The partnership strengthens Qualcomm’s strategy to lead in modem, Radio Frequency and AI-connected edge technologies as the industry prepares for commercial 6G in the coming years.

How Are Competitors Performing in the Emerging 6G Ecosystem?

Qualcomm faces competition from Nokia Corporation NOK and Broadcom, Inc. AVGO. Nokia has strengthened its 6G push by investing in AI-driven network automation and restructuring its business to accelerate AI and 6G development. It is also working with industry partners and expanding research to help networks get ready for the expected 6G era around 2030. Nokia partnered with NVIDIA to develop AI-native Radio Access Network infrastructure. 

Broadcom is currently focusing on AI networking, custom silicon, and advanced connectivity chips that could support future 6G infrastructure. Its recent work in high-speed optical, data-center interconnect, and AI chips positions it as an important contributor to next-generation networks. The company recently boosted its 6G positioning by launching the BroadPeak radio chip, designed for next-generation 5G Advanced and early 6G base station deployments.

QCOM’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Qualcomm shares have lost 7.4% over the past year against the industry’s growth of 65.1%.

Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company's shares currently trade at 12.63 forward earnings, lower than 31.3 for the industry.

Earnings estimates for fiscal 2026 have declined 7.5% to $11.18 over the past 60 days, while those for fiscal 2027 have also decreased 8.8% to $11.41.

Qualcomm stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). 

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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