The upcoming "6G Anarchy in the UK" event promises to be a critical forum for navigating the complex landscape of future communication networks. With 6G often heralded as the solution to all connectivity challenges, a growing awareness of its potential limitations, as evidenced by early 3GPP standards work, casts a shadow of realism. The UK's ambitious 6G strategy, emphasising universal availability, security, resilience, trust, open networking, and spectrum sharing, faces the challenge of aligning with the evolving technical realities of 6G. Furthermore, the UK's aspiration to strengthen its position within the global 6G supply chain confronts the inherent barriers to entry within the established 3GPP ecosystem. This event will serve as a platform to address these discrepancies and chart a course for the UK's communication future.
Central to the "6G Anarchy" discussions will be the recognition that 3GPP-defined 6G, while essential, will not be a singular solution. The event will explore the necessity of a multi-faceted approach, integrating a diverse range of technologies, including Wi-Fi, IoT networks, and advanced wired solutions, to fully meet the UK's communication needs. The concept of a "network of networks," facilitating seamless interoperability between disparate systems, will be a key focus. Participants will delve into strategies for identifying and leveraging technology niches that align with the UK's unique capabilities and requirements. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of open networking principles and dynamic spectrum sharing, enabling the creation of a flexible and adaptable communication infrastructure.
Ultimately, the event aims to foster a pragmatic and collaborative approach to shaping the UK's 6G future. Recognizing that 3GPP-defined 6G will be a crucial piece of the puzzle, the discussions will centre on how to maximize its potential while acknowledging its limitations. The "6G Anarchy" event will strive to develop strategies for integrating 6G with complementary technologies, ensuring that the UK can achieve its strategic communication goals. By embracing innovation in network orchestration and management, the UK can create a robust and resilient communication ecosystem, positioning itself as a leader in the 6G era. How do we migrate successfully when the standards don’t describe the migration paths due to their simplification.
We will explore how the UK can leverage international experiences in 6G development to avoid pitfalls and accelerate progress? What strategies will ensure that UK-driven technologies are competitive and relevant in the global market? How can we leverage investment in UK semiconductors to enable a new generation of resilient and energy efficient RF analogue frontend transceivers, essential to meet net zero goals, protect critical services against malicious or unintentional interruptions and as a key enabler for innovative spectrum access.
The event programme will cover:
- What does the UK need from comms in the next decade / 6G era?
What are the UK’s requirements advanced connectivity in the next decade, as both a society and economy dependent on connectivity networks and as an aspirational supply-side player? - What will 6G give us?
How are the emerging 3GPP standards measuring up to the early aspirations and UK requirements? - What other standards/technologies might help?
Beyond the 3GPP world what other developments might meet the UK’s needs and provide market entry opportunities, whether NTN , Wi-Fi, or other technologies? - How do we stitch it all together to meet our needs?
Given the diverse technology landscape, how can the UK adopt a network-of-networks approach to ensure the best of all worlds without building in excessive complexity? And how do we get there from today’s networks?