Many 5G policy visions are described as piecemeal, uncoordinated and lacking in actionable measures. 6G policy planning is different. In learning from the past, a number of countries are seeking to develop more integrated and comprehensive strategies, drawing on a diverse range of stakeholders and leveraging cross-border partnerships. Read more...

As the world looks beyond 5G to 6G, standards development activities are spread across a large number of organisations. 6G technology is underpinned by geo-political tensions and there are growing concerns about standards fragmentation, prompting calls for tighter integration and coordination between international, regional and national standards bodies. Read more...

There has been significant uptake of B5G (beyond 5G) and 6G R&D initiatives in many countries, along with a growing pool of regional and cross-border collaborations. Many of these initiatives involve diverse stakeholder participation and long-term funding models focused on building broad 6G ecosystems. Read more...

Nokia prioritises harmonized spectrum for 5G and beyond and argues that regulatory decisions on the upper 6 GHz band should be deferred until after WRC-23. It applauds ITU identification of mmWave bands at 26 GHz, 40 GHz and 66 GHz for IMT and the ongoing study of mid bands in… Read more...

Huawei considers that 5G requires multiple layers of spectrum to address wide use cases across sub-1 GHz, mid-bands and mmWave frequency ranges. It supports global harmonization of frequency bands and exclusive national licensing as the preferred authorization model. Huawei also identifies the entire 6 GHz band as potential ‘golden capacity’… Read more...

Samsung identifies a range of mid-band spectrum targets as key for 5G/6G deployments – 2.6 GHz, 3.1-4.2 GHz, 4.4-4.5 GHz and a number of frequency ranges between 7-24 GHz. The company also prioritises the release of high-band mmWave spectrum – 26 GHz, 28 GHz and 37-43.5 GHz – for 5G. Read more...

As the world begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, mobile operators have turned their attention back to network-building. There is also an increased focus among some on open access radio networks (Open RAN), as well as on 6G-related activities. Read more...

China Mobile is the largest mobile operator in the world. It is actively engaged in 5G-related R&D activities, commercialisation and standards-setting. As of September 2021, it had a total of 956 billion mobile customers, with 816 million on 4G, according to Q3 2021 financial data. Read more...

French carrier Orange sees its core activity as connectivity via fixed, mobile and international networks. The operator has launched commercial 5G services in six European countries and is preparing for rollout of new 5G standalone networks.  Read more...

NTT Docomo remains Japan's largest telecommunications company. The operator is heavily involved in 5G, 6G and Open Radio Access Network activities, and is part of a group investigating future high-altitude platform stations. Read more...