Geopolitical tension, security threats, environmental concerns. Why 6G is different from previous cellular generations

After many months in the 'pre-standardisation' phase, the work of defining next generation 6G networks is finally under way. In June, the Technical Specification Group (TSG) of standards body 3GPP met in Prague to commission detailed studies on 6G radio access network (RAN) and system architecture.  Architecture and fundamental design choices for the radio access network, core network, operation and maintenance and security will be part of the studies. 

Work started in August 2025 and insiders expect the first 6G specifications to be completed by the end of 2028. Commercial 6G deployments could start in 2030.

Needless to say, 6G is expected to deliver significant performance improvements over 5G. Speeds could reach 1 terabit per second with latencies in the sub-millisecond range. Artificial Intelligence will play a crucial role too – optimising networks and enhancing user experiences. This new generation is also expected to facilitate ultra-low-power connectivity, making it possible to connect sensors in resource-constrained environments.

So, it’s clear that 6G will be technically distinct from previous cellular generations. But the differences will extend beyond technology. 6G will be defined by new challenges around geopolitics, cybersecurity, sustainability and return on investment. Let's examine each of these factors in more detail.

Digital sovereignty – the key 6G battleground

In the transition to a digital economy, the world’s superpowers have learned one lesson: technological leadership equals global dominance. This is why the race to 6G will be shaped by intensifying competition between the US and China.

Western countries used to lead cellular network technologies so far.  Not anymore with 6G. China has already secured more than 40 percent of 6G-related patent applications. This rivalry has already prompted unprecedented export controls and regulatory responses. The ability to control a technology that could significantly impact the global economy makes 6G deployment as much about national security as technological advancement.

Where does this leave Europe? It clearly creates both challenges and opportunities for the continent. The EU has responded with its "AI Continent" initiative, pledging €200 billion to collaborative programs, including support of 6G development. This move represents a bid for European technological sovereignty based on two critical pillars: AI and cybersecurity frameworks.

Adding sustainability to the equation

On top of this, there is immense pressure on the architects of 6G to make the tech as sustainable as possible. International consortia such as 6G Flagship have argued that new networks should be developed in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The UN defines sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  

Coincidentally both the launch date for 6G and the target date for UN SDGs are set for 2030. So how can 6G’s architects meet the UN’s conditions? One possibility is by applying the ‘Doughnut Economics’ model. This framework balances social needs with ecological ceilings. It aims to ensure that network development delivers connectivity needs for all populations, without exceeding planetary boundaries.

Ultimately, network architects must make sure that the environmental impact of 6G is less than that of previous cellular generations. These considerations should include: comprehensive life-cycle assessment, the risks of terminal obsolescence and proliferation, rebound effects where traffic growth negates efficiency gains and indirect impacts from 6G-driven growth in other sectors. 

What is the return on investment?

Yes, 6G must make citizens’ lives better – and minimise its own environmental footprint. But it must also pay for itself. The exampl of the previous generation offers some warnings. It has been noted that mobile operators invested heavily in 5G – sometimes without any clear path to return on investment (ROI). 6G will have to be different. Stakeholders will demand concrete business cases before committing to massive infrastructure investments. 

Analysts believe that 6G will support radical new applications, such as immersive communication, disaster assistance, robotics and also dramatically enhance unmanned systems communications, which will offer the potential for vast upsides. Network sensing, where environmental context intelligence will be provided by the very network operations, would be one of the key enablers for these applications. 

Several early researches forecast that the market for 6G-enabled technology will see annual revenue grow from a little above $6 billions in the mid-2020s to anywhere between $48 billions and $110 billions in the mid-2030s, at compound annual growth rates (CAGR) spread between 24% and 46%.

But what if some societal benefits are not economically viable at first? In such situations, public funding can help initiate 6G adoption until wide usage produces sustainable revenue. For instance, a comprehensive environmental monitoring system could enable informed climate policy, early pollution alerts, and ecosystem preservation. Yet, the high costs of deploying and maintaining extensive sensors and connectivity in remote areas will outweigh limited direct revenue until environmental data markets mature. Similar issues affect disaster-resilient emergency communications, large-scale smart agriculture, and global wildlife conservation tracking.

Taking care of escalating security threats

6G will bring with it unprecedented security challenges. Its AI-native, disaggregated architecture, combined with support for millions of IoT devices, will massively expand the surface available to attackers. The proliferation of autonomous entities capable of self-organising and resource management will further amplify this attack surface.

Addressing the threat will be essential in a world where the 6G network provides the backbone of the digital economy and digital life. So 6G’s success will depend on building reliable and solid security foundations. The cybersecurity industry must commit to the task by focusing on the following key security challenges:

• Making 6G network infrastructure strong enough to withstand threats that could undermine digital sovereignty
• Using AI system protection to deter emerging attack vectors
• Protecting end-user data privacy in hyper-connected 6G environments
• Spreading trust across fragmented, multi-vendor ecosystems
• Implementing decentralised security, adding resilience to network
• Adapting protocols to meet 6G's specific requirements for security and threat detection
• Preparing for the quantum era with post-quantum cryptography and crypto-agile designs
• Aligning with upcoming EU regulations—the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), Digital Services Act (DSA) and AI Act—to ensure security-by-design, transparency and accountability across the 6G lifecycle
• Applying best-practice recipes: protection - including data at rest, in transit and in use (e.g., confidential computing), resiliency with crypto-agility, Trusted Computing based on hardware root of trust, detection by continuous integrity verification and monitoring, Zero-Trust principles, automated response and recovery, robust IAM (with Multi-Factors Authentication), granular data-payload protection and strict segregation of duties
• Leveraging specific technologies such as privacy-preserving cryptographic solutions or physical layer security.

Rising to the 6G challenge

As the communications industry stands on the threshold of the 6G era, it faces a pivotal moment that will define the future of global connectivity. 6G is not merely an incremental upgrade—it promises to become the invisible yet indispensable component supporting a smooth cooperation of the digital and physical worlds, enable intelligent automation, and unlock transformative new services and business models. However, this promise comes with formidable challenges: geopolitical rivalry, sustainability, security, and return on investment. Overcoming these hurdles is essential, as success will not only drive digital inclusion, innovation, and economic growth throughout the 2030s, but also shape the very fabric of a successful digital society for decades to come.