Lessons from EuCNC & 6G Summit

EuCNC & 6G Summit remains one of the most impactful telecommunications and connectivity research events in Europe. Alongside the technical sessions, discussion panels touched on the topics that redefine the telecommunications paradigm: cybersecurity, resilience, sovereignty, monetization, and sustainability. 

It is expected that the forthcoming 6G network will be powerful and enable the introduction of innovative products and exceptional services to bridge the digital and physical worlds. This will reshape the way we communicate, travel, and entertain ourselves.  

But it’s not just about a faster network, with high bandwidth or ultra-low latency communication. It's essential to evaluate the real-world benefits of these technological advances. Even more importantly, to understand how to secure the networks that form the backbone of our critical infrastructure, on which modern society relies heavily. 

6G network resilience – the foundation of future connectivity  

When using smartphones or other connected devices, we take cellular connectivity for granted. We do not bother about the question of what happens if the network and infrastructure fail in the face of a cyber-attack, military danger, or natural catastrophe.  

Recent examples of blackouts in Portugal and Spain have shown that telecommunication infrastructure is vital for nearly every operation, including emergency calls, financial services or transportation. The industry and authorities need to keep in mind that connectivity disruptions might result in catastrophic consequences. That’s why the resilience topic remains central not only for the future, but for today’s discussions followed by clear actions. The common agreement during my EuCNC Panel was that the 6G network should be built around resilience as a core design principle. 

Japan is an example of a country that needs to prioritize network resilience due to frequent natural disasters and the one that has experienced significant impacts from such events. Past disasters indicate that a non-operational telecommunications network can even lead to considerable human casualties. That’s why Akihiro Nakao (Co-Chair of XGMF) showed how private telecommunications companies are collaborating closely with government authorities to tackle this issue. Implementing network redundancy and hybrid, multi-layered networks through non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), such as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites or high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), may be a critical consideration for the near future (for coverage and failover). 

Click here to see our network solutions for public safety and defense companies.  

Cybersecurity as a non-negotiable component 

Rapid technological advances are like double-edged swords. On the one hand, we can leverage these technologies to safeguard ourselves and our critical infrastructure against cyberattacks. On the other hand, they also have the potential to serve as powerful weapons, capable of launching unprecedented attacks with devastating consequences.  

Quantum-based security solutions have become a notable area of focus in telco infrastructure cybersecurity. QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) and post-quantum cryptography are considered key building blocks for securing 6G networks against future cyberattacks. Alongside the post-quantum transition, AI related tools are considered as one of the key technologies for supporting cybersecurity threat detection and incident analysis with regards to 6G networks and infrastructure. 

During one of the panel discussions, there was a common agreement that securing telco networks demands end-to-end security that unifies the network and its applications. Additionally, for future networks and services to be truly secure, they'll require cognitive and autonomic orchestration. This orchestration should enable the secure, dynamic pooling of computing resources, balancing edge and core elements for sustainable management. 

Click here to see our solutions for secure networks. 

 
6G monetization: ensuring equal value distribution 

The deployment of dual-use (combining civilian and defense-ready applications) 6G infrastructure is crucial for Europe's sovereignty. However, it requires significant investments from telecommunications operators that play a vital role in the entire cellular network ecosystem. The lingering question is: how can we ensure that mobile network operators (MNOs) receive a fair share of the value that the 6G network is expected to generate? 

During the “Monetization and Sustainability in 6G” I had the pleasure to discuss this topic with top experts from Ericsson, Orange Polska, Polish Chamber of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and University of Bristol. The common agreement was that we see huge potential in numerous use cases that will be enabled by a 6G network, from healthcare, entertainment to the transportation and automotive industries (among others). But this requires going beyond basic connectivity and selling just data pipes. Providers should offer solutions and services tailored to the specific needs of the industries and enterprise customers. This is not an easy task after all and will require further considerations related to technical capabilities.  

Cellular networks, especially 6G in the future, will impact numerous use cases for the automotive industry, including enhancing autonomous driving and increasing safety-related features. We consider network slicing capabilities and guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) as potential key enablers for such use cases. Operators could sell network "slices" with specific performance characteristics (e.g., extremely ultra-low latency for autonomous driving, high bandwidth for infotainment and holographic digital cockpits, ultra-reliability for V2X safety). MNOs could offer car producers and service providers premium pricing for mission-critical slices (e.g., "Autonomous Driving Slice" with guaranteed KPI for latency), or subscription models for specific application slices, or bundles combining different slice types. 

Download Connected Mobility 2.0 whitepaper to learn more about 6G use cases. 

Summary 

Beyond doubt, the 6G network should be regarded as the foundation of a future hyper-connected world. However, to fully realize its potential while prioritizing sustainability goals, collaboration among industry, technology providers, and public authorities is essential for developing standards that enhance interoperability across ecosystems. Such an endeavor will require further investments to improve physical and logical infrastructure but also to train future engineers and talents to work with 6G networks and applications. 

Not surprisingly, the industry considers AI as a tool that can greatly help to proceed with network power consumption optimization but also with AI-based risk analytics and routing in case of emergency situations. One of the key takeaways from EuCNC & 6G Summit is that resilience needs to be designed into 6G from “day one” because with its power and capabilities, it will integrate critical sectors like defense, energy, healthcare, and logistics.  

For this, a decisive shift is crucial: from a performance-centric to a resilience-centric approach.