South Korea has played a leading role in shaping the global 6G Vision approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), outlining key performance targets and service expectations. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
SEOUL, March 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The first-ever discussions on global 6G technology standards are set to take place in South Korea from March 10 to 14, marking a critical milestone in next-generation telecommunications.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Sunday that the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)—the international body responsible for mobile communication standards—will convene in Incheon for the 6G Workshop and Technical Meeting. This marks the first formal gathering dedicated to 6G, which is anticipated to be commercialized by 2030.
South Korea has played a leading role in shaping the global 6G Vision approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), outlining key performance targets and service expectations. Building on this groundwork, the upcoming meeting will provide a forum for global industry leaders to collaborate on defining 6G standards.
A two-day workshop, kicking off on March 10, is expected to spark intense competition among companies seeking to establish an early foothold in 6G. Unlike 5G, which was largely shaped by telecom firms, 6G is drawing active participation from artificial intelligence (AI) industry players from the outset.
“AI is not just being integrated into mobile devices, robots, and autonomous vehicles, but also into base stations to optimize network automation and energy efficiency,” an official from South Korea’s IT regulatory body stated.
Interest in the event is surging, with over 120 member companies worldwide submitting approximately 230 technical proposals. Traditional mobile operators and manufacturers will be joined by AI computing giants like NVIDIA and IT firms such as Meta and Google, reflecting the broader scope of 6G technology.
Key agenda items include the integration of AI into 6G, virtualization through software and Open RAN technologies, and advancements in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)—a key component for global 6G connectivity.
Industry heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics and the GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) are expected to introduce new technical proposals.
The event will also see leadership elections, with Samsung’s Yoon-Sun Kim running for RAN (Radio Access Network) chair and LG Electronics’ Rae-Young Kim vying for the vice-chair position in the Service and System Architecture (SA) group.
Ryu Je-myung, director of network policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, underscored the significance of hosting this landmark event. “Launching the formal 6G standardization process in Korea reflects our commitment to being a global leader in next-generation telecommunications.
The government will actively support domestic industry efforts to ensure their technologies become part of the official 6G standard,” he stated.
With global competition intensifying, the outcomes of this meeting are expected to shape the foundation for 6G networks, setting the stage for the next decade of wireless innovation.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
