FROM DAY ONE, 3GPP CREATED THE MOTHER OF ALL G'S...AND ON THE SECOND DAY IT RESTED

Takeaways from the 3GPP 6G Workshop in Incheon, South Korea

03/27/2025 | 18 pages
Price: $795.00

SRG recently attended the 3GPP 6G Workshop, held in Incheon, South Korea earlier this month. The event brought together nearly 1,500 delegates (virtual and real) to discuss their views on the vision for 6G. This report provides our key takeaways after listening to leading operators and suppliers from across the globe. We include our thoughts on proposed ideas, our perspectives, based on what happened with 3G, 4G, and 5G, and offer our thoughts on some key risks that exist.

Background. The recent 6G Workshop kicked off 3GPP activities related to the standardization of 6G, although the real work won’t start until June with the “finalization” of the 6G study item in Release 20. Release 20 includes 5G Advanced work items in addition to the 6G study items with Release 21 (schedule TBD) defining the initial features and functionality that will define the first release of 6G.

Memory Lane. We reflect on lessons [hopefully] learned from earlier standardization efforts in the hope they don’t get repeated. Our primary concern is that while everyone knows what went wrong with 5G, some of those lessons will be forgotten. 6G can’t over promise and under deliver. Trying to do too much in the first release would be a critical mistake. It is also very likely that many initial 6G networks will underperform other existing 5G networks. Further, the “really cool” stuff pertaining to 6G also takes a business case and the support of vertical markets – something 3GPP can’t standardize.

Views and Opinions. We summarize the views of leading operators and vendors that have a valid say in what 6G should look like and where they want the initial focus to be. Unfortunately, if you sum it all up, they want everything “from Day One.”