Telia and Ericsson have started the first joint outdoor trials of 6G in Sweden. The tests began on 2 November and use experimental 6G equipment from Ericsson, while many people in the Nordics are still waiting to get the full benefit of 5G.
What the engineers are testing
The trials focus on how far the signals reach, how fast data can be sent and how low the delay can become. Everything takes place in the upper part of the 6 GHz frequency band, which is expected to play an important role in future mobile networks.
A network that can see what happens around it
Where 5G was marketed mainly on speed, the ambition for 6G is considerably larger. One of the most interesting ideas is a network that does more than carry data, because it can also detect and understand parts of its surroundings.
In practice, this could mean a network that spots drones in the air, helps self driving cars register hazards, or redistributes capacity before thousands of people overload the network at a concert. Ericsson has already shown that modified 5G equipment can detect and track drones, and this is one of the technologies that can be developed further with 6G.
Artificial intelligence will also become a more integral part of the network. The aim is a network that adapts itself, finds problems and allocates resources where the need is greatest. For ordinary users, this may eventually mean more stable connections, lower delay and better capacity in crowded places.
No reason to delay your next phone purchase
The international 6G standard is not finished. The work is expected to reach an important milestone at the end of 2028, and the first complete specifications are expected in 2029.
Telia and Ericsson expect 6G to start being established in Sweden around 2030 to 2032. The Swedish trials do not mean that a commercial network is close, and there is no guarantee that Denmark will follow the same timetable.
5G still has plenty to offer
The two companies stress that 6G should build on the investments already made in 5G. This means that technologies from the next generation can gradually reach existing networks, long before 6G becomes widely available.
The trials are still worth following. They mark the beginning of a shift in which the mobile network no longer only connects phones, but increasingly helps machines, cars and digital services understand the world around them. If development goes as planned, the mobile networks of the 2030s could be something quite different from a faster version of 5G.
