CES 2020 – Welcome to the Roaring 20’s - 2/7

Qualcomm’s business model is licensing out its technology, and to as many different markets as possible. Historically their key vertical was the wireless sector, now it includes all device makers, application developers, OS makers, automotive - 5G is all-inclusive. Our connected world will get even more connected, producing and collecting data to unprecedented levels.

5G will ensure that we will all have a digital twin or proxy of ourselves in the cloud. Amon believes that the rights and obligations of a ‘physical being’ will also be made applicable to the digital side and that regulations here will begin to catch up. Amon sees an opportunity here for Qualcomm, as our own digital identity becomes more and more critical the demand for trusted suppliers of technology will become paramount. In time Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor unit could authenticate individuals in the cloud. 5G could drive development of digital governance, regulation and hence provide a potential competitive moat to players that make the grade. In her own keynote speech, Ivanka Trump talked about how workers of the future should be able to access life-long records of job skills and verified qualifications on their smartphones – identity and data access should become more automated with 5G.

Autonomous Vehicles

We saw US government support go up a gear with the release of ‘AV 4.0’, an initiative led by Secretary Elaine Chao of the Department of Transportation with the aim to ensure American leadership in Automated Vehicle technology. Its core principles are designed to 1) prioritize safety and security 2) promoting innovation and 3) ensure a consistent regulatory approach. There is undeniably a big US government push to coordinate developments in AV from the federal government level down to all related agencies, businesses and academia, and Secretary Chao was keen to point out benefits down the line for reducing traffic congestion, environmental benefits and greater mobility for the elderly and disabled. However, these benefits must also come with safety as being the most paramount deliverable, together with cybersecurity, and acting in such a way to remain technology-neutral, oversight intellectual property protection and continual modernization of regulations. Government support such as this should be a tailwind for tangible progress.