Just when you were getting used to the benefits of 5G – at least if you are lucky enough to have 5G coverage in your area – steps are being taken for the development of 6G.

3GPP, the body responsible for setting international standards for mobile technology, recently convened a plenary meeting to discuss future developments. The subjects addressed by participants included the development of enhancements to 5G Advanced services and the preparation for a smooth transition to 6G.

There are two schools of thought as to how big a transition there should be. Some network operators are, perhaps understandably, arguing for an evolutionary approach to avoid expensive hardware changes. Instead, they suggest that upgrading existing mobile sites for 6G services should be possible by just software changes.

Others are calling for the European Union to reserve the upper 6 GHz radio band for just 6G services. Operating at these super high radio frequencies (SHF) offers increased download speeds but over a restricted range. However, this would require investment in new radio equipment.

So, when can we expect access to 6G? In the past a new generation of mobile service has been introduced every ten years. 5G services have been available since 2019. Based on past experience, therefore, we have another four years to wait. It also takes on average 20 years from launch for a new generation to becomes predominate over older services. Meanwhile, we can look forward to enhancements to 5G services and an expansion of coverage.

You can keep abreast of mobile technology development by studying PTT online courses including “4G and 5G radio access networks” and “Advanced mobile systems“.