Governments, operators and vendors are starting to work together on 6G
The standard won't arrive commercially until 2030 but early R&D has already started
The US is working with Sweden, while South Korea already has multiple agreements in place on 6G
Even though the commercial launch of the next cellular standard – 6G – isn’t expected to happen for another six years, countries, operators and vendors are starting to team up to lay the foundations for the next generation of wireless. The U.S. and Sweden are the latest to partner up, with the pair recently signing a technology and science cooperation agreement.
“We intend to engage regularly and focus on cooperation in next generation communications, including 6G and beyond, as outlined in this vision for the mutual benefit of the United States of America, the Kingdom of Sweden and the wider global community,” the U.S. Department of State said in a statement.
The move comes as governments, operators and vendors try to get a handle on how to manage the emergence of 6G early on.
Analysts at Analysis Mason noted that 6G from the outset will be a very artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-based technology, with less human interaction than previous cellular standards.
“The vast amounts of 6G data and the rates at which it can be transmitted are way beyond the capacity of humans to handle directly. 6G will be primarily about connecting machines that are involved in handling very complex tasks...leaving humans to focus on what they want to achieve, rather than how to carry out the task,” the firm stated in a report.
Handling the data overload will be part of the 6G network’s job. How the technology can use, store and collate that data will likely be one of fundamental keystones of 6G.
Making moves
The U.S. and Swedish governments plan substantial collaboration between academia, the private sector and “innovation ecosystems in this field.” President Biden and Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson had already planned to deepen joint research in 6G during their meeting on July 5, 2023.
Swedish telecom vendor Ericsson is already a job provider in the U.S., so there is also focus on communications jobs for 6G. The agreement said that it is “supporting workforce development and increased diversity in the workforce and industrial base.”
South Korea is also making waves in early 6G development. Korea Telecom (KT) and LG Electronics have just signed a research and development (R&D) deal focused on technology standardization for 6G. This comes after KT signed a similar R&D deal with Nokia in May 2024.
South Korea kickstarted its 6G plans way back in 2021. The U.S. and South Korea have already agreed to encourage joint R&D on emerging technology including 6G.