Ericsson Conducts First Live 6G Trial
Ericsson conducted the world's first live 6G trial in Texas, demonstrating the technology's ability to power AI robotics and real-time video streaming. The test utilized new 6G centimeter wave spectrum and cloud-native infrastructure. The milestone supports American leadership in the development of AI-native 6G technology.
The trial took place at Ericsson's U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas, and represented the first successful pre-standard 6G over-the-air session. This achievement validates key 6G architectural components, including radio hardware, software-defined air interfaces, and cloud-based platforms. The system's software is designed to be future-proof, capable of running on both CPU and GPU hardware. A key focus of the demonstration was the use of the centimetric wave (cmWave) spectrum, specifically frequencies between 7 and 15 GHz. This part of the spectrum is considered a crucial enabler for 6G, offering a balance of wide-area coverage and the large bandwidth necessary for applications like holographic communication. The move to cmWave is a shift from the early focus of 5G on millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. The trial showcased the potential of an "AI-native" network, a core concept for 6G where artificial intelligence is integrated into the network's foundation. This will allow for networks that can sense, compute, and adapt in real-time, which is essential for managing AI-powered robotics and autonomous systems. Ericsson has partnered with AI firms like Mistral AI to research and develop AI agents for network optimization and 6G development. This demonstration is part of a broader global race for 6G leadership, with major research initiatives also underway in South Korea, China, the European Union, and Japan. The U.S. government has launched several initiatives to promote 6G research and development, including the National Spectrum Strategy and programs funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. Looking ahead, the first commercial 6G networks are expected to launch around 2030. The standardization process is already in its early stages, with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) having started work on the first 6G standard in 2024, expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Ericsson is actively collaborating with industry partners like Apple and MediaTek to build out the 6G ecosystem. These collaborations focus on developing and demonstrating essential 6G capabilities, including spectrum sharing between 5G and 6G to ensure a smooth transition. The company is also engaged in academic partnerships, such as its collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin on 6G-powered extended reality (XR). One of the new capabilities being tested for 6G is Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), which allows the network to act as a sensor. In a separate proof of concept in Plano, Ericsson demonstrated ISAC's potential by using its massive-MIMO radios to detect and track drones. This technology is expected to be part of early 6G standardization and has applications in public safety and defense.
