Western governments lay the groundwork for secure 6G networks

Governments are preparing for 6G, the next generation of mobile networks, placing security and resilience among their top priorities. In response, seven countries participating in the Global Coalition on Telecoms (GCOT) have introduced a set of 6G Security and Resilience Principles, developed with support from industry partners.

The coalition brings together the governments of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Sweden and Finland recently joined as new members. Industry partners supporting the initiative include companies such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Qualcomm, NEC, AT&T, Vodafone, and NVIDIA.

The Principles outline what GCOT governments expect from industry on the security and resilience of next-generation networks. They call for 6G systems protected from cyber and physical threats, supported by resilient supply chains, and able to provide reliable service.

A UK Government statement said that “the governments of the GCOT hope that these Principles will serve as a touchstone for future work to develop 6G standards and will inform industry’s 6G research and development. They build on existing GCOT publications, including those on AI and Open RAN certification.”

The Principles set out objectives for 6G development and may evolve as technologies and markets develop.

“Although the commercial launch of 6G networks is still several years away, it is important to establish early the principles that will guide its development and support its success. The principles have been informed by industry input, and we are pleased to have been part of this process,” said Rob Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at Virgin Media O2.