- ETSI says 6G standardization is still in the study phase, with final specifications not expected before 2029
- AI, including agentic and AI-native concepts, is shaping early debate but remains unsettled in standards bodies
- Satellite and non-terrestrial networks are set to be fully integrated into 6G from the outset, not bolted on later
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2026, BARCELONA — As 6G buzz grows louder on the show floor at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, standards body ESTI urged the industry to separate marketing noise from technical reality.
Ultan Mulligan, Chief Services Officer at ETSI, said the wireless industry is still in the early stages of defining what 6G will actually be. “Right now…6G work is ongoing, but it’s at what they call the 'study phase,'” he explained. “It’s basically collecting all of the different technology choices that exist…and sifting through some of the business cases and requirements as well.”
That process is happening within 3GPP Release 20, with actual technical specification work expected to begin next year. Even then, timelines remain fluid. “We have said in the past that the final version specifications will not come before March 2029,” Mulligan said, adding that standards writing could continue into late 2029 or early 2030.
Despite that, some operators are already signaling ambitions to deliver 6G earlier, echoing a familiar pattern from previous generational shifts. “The same happened in 5G,” Mulligan said. “We were told not before 2020, 2021, and then all of a sudden, some operator says, ‘Yeah, but we want it for 2018.’”
'Jockeying for position' before specs are written
Much of the 6G rhetoric at MWC, Mulligan suggested, reflects positioning rather than concrete technical decisions. “Right now they have to be [jockeying], because we haven’t started writing the specifications,” he said.
The real battles, he noted, will come later, when intellectual property and detailed technical contributions are debated inside standards committees. “That’s the real jockeying for position, because then that has an impact as to what actually is in the standards,” Mulligan said.
At the same time, Mulligan emphasized that 5G still has significant runway left. Many operators, particularly in Europe, have yet to fully deploy 5G standalone or monetize advanced capabilities. “There’s a lot of room left in 5G,” he said, warning that pausing investment in existing networks while waiting for 6G would be disastrous. “The industry’s dead if that happens.”
AI looms large, but definitions remain fluid
Artificial intelligence is already shaping early discussions on 6G, even though standards work has yet to begin. “We have the debates…about the extent to which AI will be integrated or even used to drive the networks,” Mulligan said. “Whether the network will be agentic driven, AI-native, or whatever these actually mean.”
What complicates matters, he added, is the rapid evolution of AI itself. “What we know today in terms of capabilities of AI will have evolved by the time…we start to write the specifications, and by the time we finish them, it’ll have evolved even further,” Mulligan said.
As a result, flexibility is critical. Mulligan pointed to the need for programmable networks, rich telemetry data and standardized interfaces to support AI-driven automation. “You need a fully programmable network…regardless of the extent to which the network will be agentic driven,” he said.
ETSI is also working on the trust side of AI. Mulligan cited early standards on AI cybersecurity but stressed that much more work is needed. “Standards bring trust,” he said. “They bring interoperability, bring economies of scale.”
Satellites move to core component
Satellite connectivity is expected to play a much larger role in 6G than in previous generations. “Even in 5G, non-terrestrial access was an important factor,” Mulligan said. “It’s going to be every bit as important and integrated into 6G.”
Unlike earlier efforts, satellite technology is being considered from the start. “They’re in from the beginning in the 6G development,” Mulligan said. “It’s not an afterthought. It’s not a bolt-on.”
That integration is expected to support not only broadband but also mission-critical services, with standards debates likely to intensify as satellite operators, mobile operators and new entrants collide.
A long road ahead for 6G
Ultimately, Mulligan cautioned against viewing 6G as a single launch moment. “We will immediately have started the next release and the next release,” he said, describing a continuous evolution that could stretch well into the 2040s and even the 2050s.
For now, he said, the focus should remain on realistic timelines, continued 5G evolution and laying the groundwork for a flexible, AI-capable future network.
Read all of our coverage from Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona here.