Wireless Broadband Alliance Calls for Cooperation Among Wireless Technologies for the 6G Era

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), a global Wi-Fi related industry association, recently released its "6G Vision Statement," a vision report on future 6G technologies. The report calls for cooperation between Wi-Fi, cellular, and other wireless technologies, and warns that "industry fragmentation could threaten the realization of truly ubiquitous connectivity.

The new report begins by noting that "Wi-Fi and cellular technologies are the most adopted wireless broadband technologies in the world" and describes the cooperation between the two technologies to date, noting that integration efforts have been driven by solutions such as Wi-Fi Calling and SIM-based seamless Wi-Fi authentication. He noted that integration efforts have been driven by solutions such as Wi-Fi Calling and SIM-based seamless Wi-Fi authentication, but that these solutions have been slow to adopt due to cost issues, complexity, and the need to harmonize fragmented user experiences.

The report also outlines five visions for the realization of 6G. These visions include "cost-effective complementation of 6G with Wi-Fi to balance growing data demand with operational and energy efficiency," "industry-wide cooperation and standardization by standards bodies such as 3GPP, GSMA, IEEE, IETF, WBA, and Wi-Fi Alliance to align Wi-Fi, cellular, and other technologies to avoid fragmentation and ensure interoperability," and "a new, more cost-effective, and more efficient way for 6G to be implemented. The vision includes "industry-wide cooperation and standardization to align Wi-Fi, cellular, and other technologies to avoid fragmentation and ensure interoperability. The report also argues that "unlike 5G, which focuses on a broad range of areas, 6G should concentrate on areas such as healthcare, smart cities, and industrial automation, which will benefit most from low-latency and seamless connectivity.

WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues said, "By placing higher density, higher capacity, greater efficiency, and collaboration at the center of our vision, we aim to make 6G not just a technological leap forward, but a practical solution to the challenges of global connectivity.

Materials

• WBA calls for unified approach to 6G as wireless industry faces fragmentation
• Wireless Broadband Alliance 6G Vision Calls for Greater Industry Collaboration if Ubiquitous Connectivity is to be Achieved
• 6G Vision Statement