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This publication consolidates key messages from NGMN as an operator view perspective, ensuring alignment, readiness, and a strong presence covering major 3GPP milestones. It serves as a foundation for engaging with the broader industry, driving collaboration, innovation, and strategic direction in the evolving 6G landscape by considering benefits of end-customers.
NGMN believes that the continuing evolution of the mobile industry, and the underlying technologies, need to be beneficial to both end users and operators, creating value through new services, supporting a healthy ecosystem, and fulfilling the needs for a society that is increasingly relying on ICT. 6G standards must be globally harmonised. It is expected to be built upon the features and capabilities introduced with 5G, alongside new capabilities to deliver new services and value.
This publication provides the mobile communications industry with a comprehensive methodology to evaluate the value of new Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions.
Building on the 2023 MNO Position Statement, which emphasised that any new RAN must deliver tangible additional benefits—such as enabling new user-driven use cases or improving operational efficiencies like energy consumption—this framework offers clear and actionable guidance for assessing RAN innovations.
The Radio Performance Assessment Framework, primarily targeted for providing guidance to 3GPP, also provides general guidance to the broader ecosystem. Its goal is to enable fair benchmarking of vendor offerings and to ensure that new RAN solutions surpass the capabilities of 5G Advanced.
This essential publication guides a course for the future of communication networks and calls the industry to transform the way new technology generations are introduced enabling compelling new services and capabilities for end users while streamlining network operations and prioritising sustainability.
It provides comprehensive guidance across several key requirements and design principles, including network simplification, absolute energy reduction, network AI transformation and predictive network management, safe and resilient infrastructure, global 6G standards, software upgrade to 6G, no intrinsic need for hardware refresh, no compromise to existing services (Voice) and access across mobile, fixed and non-terrestrial networks.
In this paper, the NGMN MNOs, with input from NGMN Partners (vendors, research institutions), outline their vision for 6G representing a future evolution of networks enabling differentiated services with expanded market opportunities and novel experience. It first describes the drivers for 6G, and the key necessities to guide the future technologies to respond to the needs of the end users, societies, and MNOs. This is followed with NGMN’s vision of 6G, its novelty and capabilities to meet the drivers identified.
We discuss a number of fundamental aspects, including new scope and approach, that need to be considered in design and development of the next generation of standards and technologies. Furthermore, we recommend that research and the development of future ecosystems prioritize the key gaps and challenges discussed in this paper.