//php echo do_shortcode(‘[responsivevoice_button voice=”US English Male” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]’) ?>
BARCELONA, Spain — At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, Ericsson shared its plans for the telecom industry, highlighting progress on 6G standards, the integration of AI into networks, and the introduction of new hardware.
As the industry anticipates the commercial rollout of next-generation networks later this decade, the Stockholm-based infrastructure manufacturer is positioning its computing architecture to handle shifting data traffic patterns.
Path to 6G standardization
The formal definition of 6G technology is currently under scrutiny within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the main body that develops international standards and protocols for mobile networks.
The process has moved beyond preliminary discussions into targeted technical specifications. In an interview with EE Times at MWC 2026, Marie Hogan, head of 6G portfolio strategy at Ericsson, outlined the progress made by the working groups. “Now we have had a few 3GPP standardization meetings,” Hogan stated. “In the [radio access network] RAN, we’ve had probably four meetings at this stage. So there have been some decisions already on some very low-level physical layer.”
By Bluetooth SIG 03.10.2026
By GigaDevice 03.10.2026
By GigaDevice 03.10.2026
Early decisions include using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms for 6G mobile broadband, but many technical details remain to be worked out. Hardware development will depend on these regulatory frameworks.
“In the middle of this year, we would expect to have some of the more critical physical layer decisions,” Hogan noted, adding that such milestones are necessary for chipset providers and infrastructure developers to plan their manufacturing strategies accurately. While standardizations are progressing, the complete architecture remains years away. “The specification is not fully ready until 2029,” Hogan said.
The upcoming standard will also formally integrate non-terrestrial networks, establishing a harmonized framework for satellite communications. “There’s clearly going to be a discussion on non-terrestrial in 6G,” Hogan stated. “A lot of the good things from the 5G NTN will be inherited into 6G. There will be a bit of work on having smoother mobility between terrestrial and non-terrestrial.”
AI-native network and distributed compute
A central theme of Ericsson’s 2026 announcements is the distinction between retrofitting existing networks with AI and designing a natively intelligent system from the ground up. “In 5G, we’re adding AI capabilities to the network. [In] 6G, we’re defining now, and that has AI as a fundamental principle,” Hogan explained.
This change means central processing units and neural network accelerators will be spread across the network to handle AI tasks. Rather than sending all data to central data centers, Ericsson suggests placing computing power closer to where data is generated, such as at base stations. This reduces response times for applications that need quick results. Tasks that are less urgent or require more computing power can still be sent to central locations. The goal is to balance efficiency, cost, and performance for different uses.
“It’s going to be a hybrid scenario,” Hogan stated. “Some models that require massive compute will likely be centralized if they don’t have strict timing pressure. Smaller models and compute may be localized and integrated into radio or base station hardware. We don’t think heavy compute nodes are needed everywhere; it will likely be a mix of both approaches.”
To support AI in the network, Ericsson introduced AI-ready radios with its own silicon chips. These radios use programmable matrix cores in the Ericsson Many-Core Architecture (EMCA), acting as neural network accelerators for on-site AI tasks. The new hardware is designed to save energy while handling complex AI tasks such as beamforming and spatial computing.
Ecosystem partnerships and migration strategy
Building 6G will require companies to work together so their hardware can operate smoothly. At MWC 2026, Ericsson showed working testbeds with leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies.
“We have Apple, we have MediaTek, and we have Qualcomm all on our booth, collaborating with us on our 6G test beds,” Hogan said. “We have an ecosystem starting to move toward 6G.”
Additionally, network operators will need to plan their spending carefully as they move to 6G. Many are still paying off investments in 5G non-standalone systems. Ericsson recommends seeing 5G standalone as the key step toward future upgrades.
“The best migration path to 6G is to move to 5G standalone and then move to 6G because what most of the industry is working toward in 3GPP is that we would reuse a large part of the 5G standalone core network,” Hogan stated.
Furthermore, with a 5G standalone core, carriers can try out network slicing and monetization models, providing a baseline to avoid an expensive infrastructure overhaul. Hogan reassured operators, “It’s not in any way a rip and replace. 6G has many capabilities, but there’s no need to rush to implement them all immediately.”
In the software partnership space, Ericsson announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch an Agentic rApp as a Service. Hosted on the AWS cloud infrastructure, the service provides telcos with generative AI tools to execute network optimization workflows via natural language commands, connecting through the standardized R1 interface. The platform is currently undergoing field testing with operators, including Vivo Brazil.
Uplink traffic projections and integrated sensing
The rise of agentic AI, smart glasses, and connected vehicles is changing how networks perform. In the past, most network activity was downloading content, but now devices need to send more data back to large language models, which puts pressure on the network’s uplink. Ericsson’s consumer research, based on interviews with 42,000 people in 27 markets, highlights this trend.
“We expect at least three times more uplink traffic by 2030 and then beyond 2030, probably another three times, and that’s maybe a conservative estimate,” Hogan said. Furthermore, carriers will need to guarantee service outside of dense urban centers. “The other thing we expect from the network point of view is that we need to scale these services to a wider area. There’s an expectation to be able to use these outdoors and traveling, and not just indoors.”
Another new feature in 6G is integrated sensing and communications (ISACs). This lets operators use radio waves to detect physical objects, turning the telecom network into a kind of radar.
“How can you use the network infrastructure for communication as we do today… but also use it for sensing?” Hogan asked. This capability is currently in the trial phase, with potential applications ranging from drone tracking to traffic monitoring. “Sensing can be used for a lot of things on the ground, detecting traffic or even an object [such as] a tree falling down and blocking a line of sight,” Hogan explained.
Geopolitical dynamics in deployment
As 6G technology takes shape, national policies and regional rules are affecting how quickly it will be rolled out. Ericsson expects different countries to adopt 6G at different speeds, depending on their government priorities.
“We can see clearly that the American government and policies are very much focused on making sure they’re leading in 6G,” Hogan stated. In contrast, the European market faces distinct structural hurdles. “In Europe, I think it’s challenging with the type of market we have. You have smaller populations per country, and then you have three or four operators per country… and then there are regulation challenges as well,” she noted.
Furthermore, other markets in Asia are aggressively pursuing intellectual property and deployment leadership. “In China, they’ve done a large push on 5G, 5G standalone, and 5G advanced, and they can move very quickly when they see the need,” Hogan observed. She highlighted explicit governmental targets in other nations: “In India, the government stated they want to have 10% of all of the 6G patents. The Korean government, as usual, is pushing for technology leadership.”
Ericsson’s 6G roadmap focuses on AI-native networks, distributed compute, integrated sensing, and global partnerships, targeting full standardization by 2029 via a 5G standalone transition.
See also:
At MWC, Intel Outlines CPU-Driven Case for Telecom Networks
Telcos Stalling on 5G-SA Waiting for 6G