Ericsson Conducts World's First Live 6G Trial

The trial in Plano, Texas, utilized a pre-standard 6G system with an end-to-end architecture designed to be AI and cloud-native. This demonstration validated key 6G components including radio hardware, RAN Compute, and software-defined air interfaces running on multiple hardware platforms. Ericsson's approach supports U.S. government priorities for leadership in 6G, which is considered critical for national security and economic competitiveness. The move to 6G involves a significant leap in spectrum usage, expanding into higher frequencies than 5G. While 5G operates in sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave bands, 6G is expected to utilize frequencies in the centimetric wave (cmWave) and sub-terahertz (sub-THz) ranges, from 95 GHz up to 3 THz. This will enable significantly higher data rates, with goals of reaching up to 1 terabit per second (Tbps), a thousand times faster than 5G's peak speed. 6G networks are anticipated to provide latency as low as one microsecond, which is 1,000 times faster than the one-millisecond latency of 5G. This ultra-low latency is crucial for developing applications like remote surgery, advanced robotics, and real-time holographic communication. The increased capacity of 6G will also support a massive number of connected devices, potentially trillions, paving the way for expansive IoT ecosystems and smart cities. The commercial launch of 6G is expected around 2030, following a multi-year process of research, development, and standardization. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has designated 6G as IMT-2030 and aims to approve the final set of technology standards by that year. Pre-commercial trials are expected to begin as early as 2028. Ericsson is actively collaborating with various partners to advance 6G research and development. The company has established a 6G research lab in Budapest, partnering with several Hungarian universities. Additionally, Ericsson is working with French AI company Mistral AI to integrate advanced AI models for network performance and 6G research. At Mobile World Congress 2026, Ericsson plans to showcase 6G capabilities with partners like Apple and MediaTek. The development of 6G is a global effort, with significant research and development activities underway in several countries. In China, a 6G test satellite has already been launched into low Earth orbit. South Korea is aiming to deploy a pilot 6G network as early as 2028, while the U.S. is scaling up its R&D efforts through initiatives like the Next G Alliance. One of the core advancements in 6G will be its native integration with artificial intelligence and machine learning. This will enable networks to perform intelligent traffic forecasting, and efficient resource management, and even have self-healing capabilities. Mobile edge computing will be a built-in feature of 6G networks, providing improved access to AI capabilities and supporting sophisticated mobile devices and systems. The transition from 5G to 6G will also require advancements in video coding technology to handle the demands of immersive media. Ericsson, in collaboration with Nokia and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, has developed a new video codec with higher compression efficiency. This new standard is expected to be operational around the same time as the initial 6G deployments.