Should 6G be part of telco investment plans?

The race to be first to develop and monetise technology that will be incorporated into the next generation of mobile standards threatens to overshadow the ongoing deployment of 5G. There will no doubt be exciting possibilities to innovate and potentially create new value, but there are also significant challenges and risks, not least in the expected huge investments in infrastructure and spectrum licences.

Telcos are understandably keen to focus on 5G, but long-term investment planning means issues with 6G need to be addressed sooner rather than later. And with 5G still in its early stages of deployment (with decades of use still to come), there may be limited market demand for 6G and, therefore, substantial challenges in monetising investments.

So, who needs 6G and is there an alternative?

Featuring:

• Anita Döhler, CEO, NGMN Alliance
• David Boswarthick, Director of Strategy and Innovation, ETSI
• Geoff Hollingworth, CMO, Rakuten Symphony
• Itsuma Tanaka, President & CEO, Docomo Communications Laboratories Europe GmbH
• Mark Gilmour, Chief Technology Officer, ConnectiviTree (Europe)
• Neil McRae, Core Network Technology Group, UKTIN

First Broadcast Live: December 2024

Speakers