Cell Towers

Verizon Introduces 6G Innovation Forum, Partners

Today, Verizon announced the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum, which will work with Ericsson, Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Meta, and Qualcomm Technologies to identify use cases, devices, and network technologies for the nascent standard.

“Verizon is consistently at the forefront of network innovation. 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,” Verizon Executive Vice President and President of Global Networks and Technology Joe Russo said in a press release. 

“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.”

The press release says that the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum will seek to:

  • Unlock the full potential of 6G by testing new spectrum bands and bandwidths.
  • Foster a globally harmonized 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.
  • Allow 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.

In September last year, The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) received comments from about 60 companies and associations on how the government and industry should shape 6G.

It is unclear if that input influenced how 6G was handled in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Trump in July. Mobile Experts assessed that the law had both good and challenges for the 5G and 6G ecosystems. 6G proponents hoped for a 400- to 500-MHz-wide block of spectrum between 7.1 GHz and 8.4 GHz despite the incumbent users, the report says. That is off the table. However, the legislation creates opportunities in four bands.

SIMILAR STORIES

Puzzle
Verizon to Acquire Fixed Wireless Services Provider Starry
Learn more about this post
Network Map
Hughes, Celona Partner to Offer Private Wireless Networks
Learn more about this post
Telecompetitor Arches
Visible — Powered by Verizon — Launches Retail Debut at Best Buy
Learn more about this post