Billions, maybe trillions of times a day, people around the world touch something made better by Qualcomm. It could be the smartphone in your pocket, the tablet on your coffee table, that wireless modem in your briefcase. It could even be that navigation system in your car or that action camera strapped to your chest.

Who is Qualcomm, and what do they do? They are engineers, scientists, and business strategists. They are from many different countries and speak many languages. They come from diverse cultures and have unique perspectives. They focus on a single goal, inventing breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects, computes, and communicates.

However, over the last few months, our world has dramatically changed. Will 5G will move from a buzzword to reality as 5G-enabled smartphones hit the market and carriers began offering 5G service? I invited John Smee VP Engineering, Qualcomm 5G Wireless R&D Lead onto the podcast to find out more

John is the 5G R&D lead responsible for overseeing all 5G research projects, including end-end systems design, standardization contributions, advanced antennas, radio, hardware, and software prototype implementations, as well as external engagement with wireless operators and vendors worldwide.

Over the past 15 years, he has taken on roles of project engineering lead, systems lead, and algorithm designer on a variety of projects focused on the innovation of wireless communications systems such as 3G, 4G LTE, and 802.11 WiFi.

A particular area of focus has been taking advanced system designs and signal processing techniques from theory through design, simulation, standardization, implementation, and productization. John has also worked closely with business and product teams to define features, requirements, and timelines for successful product launches.