After years of intensive research, 3GPP took the first concrete steps to make 6G a reality this week in Prague at its technical specification group (TSG) meetings. The 3GPP Radio Access Networks (RAN) and System Architecture (SA) plenaries commissioned detailed studies on both 6G radio and 6G system architecture.

The studies will evaluate key technology alternatives and compare them against 5G capabilities and evaluate performance gains and fit for future needs as specified in IMT-2030. When the studies conclude, which is expected by Q1 2027, 3GPP will publish technical reports on 6G radio as well as architecture aspects. These reports will then be used to select detailed technology elements for 6G normative specifications, which will start in Release-21. This ensures the first 6G standard is on target for finalization in 2029, leading to the first 6G market rollouts in 2030.

The 3GPP working groups will consider many novel technology enablers over the next 22 months. Let’s take a closer look at five of the most promising new capabilities that we believe offer the highest potential for delivering value to the industry — not only by addressing key limitations of 5G, but also by lowering total cost of ownership and enabling new services and revenue opportunities. 

Intelligent use of existing and new spectrum for 6G 

Based on the scope of the technology studies, the expectation is that 6G and 5G can share the existing spectrum. This refers to 5G-6G Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) as the key tool for migration towards 6G. The use of MRSS looks promising as 5G design (unlike LTE design) is well suited for sharing spectrum with 6G, in addition to enabling the support of new frequency bands with larger bandwidth using 6G. 5G-6G MRSS is expected to be much more efficient in terms of performance compared to Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) used for 4G/LTE-5G spectrum sharing. MRSS performance will not be limited by interference and overheads imposed by LTE common reference signals (CRS) in LTE, and 5G-6G MRSS can leverage the forward compatible 5G physical layer flexibility for efficient sharing. In addition, 6G can also be deployed in any newly available spectrum during the 2030 era. The outcome of WRC-27 will tell us which new bands will be made available in which regions. 

A scalable network for diverse device types

Another theme is modular design, both in terms of diverse device types natively supported from day one and in terms of functionalities specified as independent modules supported by the device. This means the system could be designed in a scalable manner for different device types with device capabilities introduced in a modular fashion. Different device categories (like smart phones, smart watches and AR/VR devices) may support different sets of functionalities specified as modules. Modular design allows easier interoperability testing and faster market uptake, making it easier for new features and new use case introduction.   

Benefiting from an AI-native network

We also foresee many topics studied for the evolution of 5G-Advanced will be implemented in 6G from the beginning. One of these notable elements is the use of AI. By addressing AI from the start, 6G would embrace new use cases for 6G easily as all necessary capabilities would already be supported. 6G is expected to address the AI model management, data collection, inference and performance verifications functionalities needed for various 6G AI capabilities as they continue to evolve for radio, core network and management, boosting network performance and making operability easier.   

Your battery will take you further

Each new system generation and new device baseline exploits advances in technology to save energy both from network and UE perspective. Reducing the cellular network carbon footprint and enabling devices to have longer battery life when connected to a 6G network would ensure 6G is sustainable and successful in the marketplace.

Better service reach, and finally ubiquitous connectivity

The first phase of 6G will provide better service, increasing service reach through better coverage and integration with satellite networks (NTN). 6G would support demanding services with more confidence by providing a more consistent user experience. 6G would maintain this user experience even in cases where higher capacity for a large number of users is required, which can be a bit of a stretch for basic 5G. Think about large-scale events and public gatherings, among others.

What's next?

The last few months have been incredibly busy and productive for 6G. In March, the 3GPP 6G workshop, held in Incheon, South Korea, decided the direction the 6G train would take after weighing numerous proposals from across the industry. This week the train has finally left the station, starting its journey toward the first 6G specifications. The train is scheduled to reach the destination in 2029 with full implementation ready specifications for implementation to proceed, paving the way for industry wide success.