Japanese IT infrastructure and services company, NTT Ltd., has announced a multi-year agreement with American chipmaker Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Technologies, Inc. on Tuesday. The collaboration aims to invest in and expedite the development of the 5G device ecosystem to spur private 5G adoption and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge.
The partnership will focus on meeting the need for 5G-enabled devices that support use cases such as push-to-talk devices, augmented reality headsets, computer vision cameras, and sensors at the edge across various sectors including manufacturing, automotive, and logistics.
"Qualcomm Technologies' 5G chipsets are prepared for the widespread adoption of AI applications at the edge and, together with NTT, we'll enhance innovative change across the 5G device ecosystem,” said Jeffery Torrance, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Connected Smart Systems, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Shahid Ahmed, Executive Vice President of New Ventures & Innovation at NTT Ltd., added that this collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies aims to upgrade the 5G ecosystem by delivering the devices their customers require in a simple and cost-effective way.
In addition to developing 5G-ready devices with Qualcomm's 5G chipsets, the companies will also work jointly to enhance AI at the edge through various applications such as image recognition. Capabilities will range from counting items and identifying object characteristics to verifying workers wearing safety equipment. Deploying AI applications through NTT's Edge-as-a-Service is expected to assist enterprises with workplace safety, optimization, and security.
The collaboration between NTT and Qualcomm is anticipated to accelerate innovation with global enterprise customers and drive widespread enterprise adoption of private 5G. According to research by IDC, the value of the private 5G market is estimated to exceed $8 billion by 2026.
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