Verizon launches 6G innovation forum | Computer Weekly

With the pace of development of 6G communications technologies ramping up, especially in Europe and Asia, one of the leading communications providers in the US, Verizon, has announced it is setting up a 6G Innovation Forum, with the aim of driving the collaborative evolution of connectivity and delivering transformative experiences for consumers and enterprises.

Even though with every generation leap, mobile networks have transmitted more data, faster, with added network capacity and lower latencies, opening up new vistas in applications and service, 6G networks have, since development inception, been seen as no mere “logical” progression. 6G networks are fundamentally designed to revolutionise how consumers, networks and devices communicate with and among each other, and are being developed to form the basis of 2030 societies and businesses, with the new and integrated features potentially advancing digitisation.

In particular, 6G is set to change how networks perform tasks such as joint communication, sensing and positioning. It promises to build critical bridges between physical and virtual spaces to enable new use cases while optimising industry operations.

In setting up its 6G Innovation Forum, Verizon says it has brought together a group of companies driving innovation and enabling the 6G era, shaping the future of wireless technology.

The initiative includes companies across the technology ecosystem, including leading network suppliers Ericsson, Samsung Electronics and Nokia; and device and chipset firms Meta and Qualcomm Technologies. Verizon says all of these firms are in the early stages of development to define 6G together by identifying potential new use cases, devices and network technology. The forum aims to establish an open, diversified and resilient 6G ecosystem and develop foundational 6G technologies while ensuring global alignment.

The forum emphasised that it intended to “move beyond theoretical discussions” and progress “rapidly” towards tangible 6G advancements and the realisation of potential new and innovative use cases.

Key areas of focus will include: unlocking the full potential of 6G by testing new spectrum bands and bandwidths; fostering a globally harmonised 6G landscape by actively working with global standards bodies like 3GPP to ensure that the forum’s work aligns with mainstream 6G development and promotes interoperability across the industry; and allowing forum partners to test and refine 6G technologies in a real-world environment by establishing dedicated Verizon 6G Labs, starting in Los Angeles, to serve as hubs for collaborative research, prototyping, and early lab and field trials.

Verizon said its networks form the backbone of the emerging artificial intelligence (AI) economy, adding that for over a decade, the firm has integrated AI into its operations to optimise network performance and infrastructure, a commitment that it said would continue with the evolution of 6G.

To that end, Verizon said the forum and labs represent significant strides towards a world where connectivity is even more seamless, more intelligent and continues to empower entirely new possibilities.

“Verizon is consistently at the forefront of network innovation,” said Joe Russo, Verizon executive vice-president and president of global networks and technology. “We were the first in the world to turn up 5G and continue to enhance our best, most reliable and fastest 5G network in ways that open the door to possibilities far beyond what we can imagine today.

“5G Advanced lays the foundation for the 6G future – whether that’s new wearables, AI experiences, or entirely new use cases we haven’t even thought of yet, and that’s what excites me the most. With the best team in the industry, we will build the future of these solutions with our partners. We’re already building a network designed for the next era – one that will transform how we live, work and play.”

Charlie Zhang, senior vice-president of Samsung Research America, added: “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Verizon to revolutionise the future of wireless communication with 6G and AI technologies, building on the large-scale vRAN capabilities developed together to unlock innovative user experiences in the 6G era.”