6G is the enabler for data-driven future society

6G is on the horizon, with the industry becoming seriously involved. There’s a lot of discussion and debate, particularly around whether 6G should be an evolutionary step from 5G or a radical departure towards something new. This debate is driven mainly by the fact that the monetisation of 5G is still ongoing, leading to many questions about the next steps in wireless technology development.
6G is the enabler for data-driven future society - Nokia´s CEO Pekka Lundmark stars in the latest 6G Waves Magazine

University of Oulu's 6G Flagship has released the 7th edition of its 6G Waves Magazine. The magazine highlights the achievements and goals of the 6G Flagship programme and offers insights into where we are now and where we can be in the next ten years.

6G Waves invited Nokia’s President and CEO, Pekka Lundmark, to shed light on various 6G-related issues. A frank discussion unfolded, from the realities of 5G adoption to the importance of networks for the AI and cloud revolutions. Lundmark shared his insights on where the mobile technology industry is at today. While some see consumer enthusiasm for 5G as lacking, Lundmark points out that the 5G rollout is still in its early stages. While our conversation focuses on the mobile networks part of Nokia’s business, Lundmark stresses the continued importance of fixed networks in a 5G and even 6G world. Read the interview at the centrefold of the magazine.

The 6G Flagship crew organised the world's first 6G Summit in Levi, Finnish Lapland, in the spring of 2019. This coming April, hundreds of researchers in the field of 6G will gather again in Finnish Lapland to consider where future technology will be developed and used.

“We envision that 2030s society will have a near-instant wireless connection, that our future is data-driven and sustainable”, clarifies the Director of 6G Flagship Matti Latva-aho, University of Oulu, Finland.

6G Flagship is the world’s first 6G research programme. It´s part of the Finnish government’s national research spearhead programme from 2018 to 2026. The goal is to create the essential 6G technological components, the tools, and the equipment to build a 6G Test Network, develop chosen vertical applications for 6G to accelerate societal digitisation and continue to be a recognised vision leader and sought-after research partner in worldwide 6G research.

“Research into combined communications and sensing, bolstered by AI, is at the forefront of forging new directions for the future. While the journey of 6G research is laden with challenges, we are beginning to see promising land on the horizon. As we steer through these waters, it’s our hope that the global 6G fleet will also perceive this same destination and steadily set their course towards it. The 6G Flagship is committed to leading the way in this endeavour”, Latva-aho muses in his forewords of the 6G Waves.

Read your copy of 6G Waves and stay tuned for more updates on the progress towards 6G.

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Last updated: 13.12.2023