Ericsson Executive Predicts 6G Standards Release in 2029: AI-Native Networks to Become Future Foundation
Ericsson's global CTO Magnus Ewerbring predicts 6G standards will release in early 2029, with first hardware in late 2029 and commercial rollout in 2030. AI-native networks will become the future foundation.
Barcelona — At the 2026 Mobile World Congress (MWC26), Magnus Ewerbring, Ericsson's Global Head of Advanced Technology and Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific, predicted in an interview that 6G standards are expected to be released in early 2029, with the first hardware devices likely to debut in the second half of that year and gradual commercial rollout beginning in 2030.
6G Timeline: Standards Release in 2029
Regarding the 6G evolution path that the industry highly关注, Ewerbring provided a clear timeline. He predicted that 3GPP standards for 6G are expected to be released in early 2029, with the first hardware devices likely to debut in the second half of that year and gradual commercial rollout beginning in 2030.
Ewerbring specially reminded that reviewing 5G's development history, the industry should learn lessons and adopt a standalone (SA) path from the very beginning in the 6G era to fully unleash its potential.
AI-Native Networks: Future Foundation
Ewerbring emphasized that in the next one to two years, the convergence between the communications industry and vertical industries will usher in key growth points, while deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and networks will build an important foundation leading to the 6G era.
He stated that AI-native networks will become the core feature of future communications networks. This not only means networks will have stronger intelligent capabilities, but also that AI will be deeply integrated into every layer of the network, from RAN (Radio Access Network) to core network.
New Challenges in 6G Era
Ewerbring pointed out that the 6G era faces many new challenges:
Global Unified Standards: 6G requires globally unified standards to ensure cross-operator and cross-country interoperability.
Spectrum Resources: 6G will use higher frequency bands, and how to efficiently utilize spectrum resources is an important topic.
Energy Consumption: As network speeds increase significantly, energy consumption issues are becoming increasingly prominent, requiring solutions at the architectural level.
5G-A: Bridge to 6G
Ewerbring also emphasized that 5G-A (5G Advanced) is an important bridge to 6G. Currently, 5G-A has become an "essential choice" for the industry, laying the foundation for subsequent 6G evolution.
He believes that mobile AI business will see explosive growth in the next five years, and 5G-A will play a key role in this process.