10
Speaking at RCR Wireless News’ 6G Forum 2026, Stéphane Téral, founder and chief analyst at Téral Research, said the standardization process was moving toward evaluation and consensus building
In sum – what to know
Consensus remains partial – Téral said 6G is expected to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but disputes persist over spectrum and network architecture.
Geopolitics raises stakes – Disagreements over spectrum, migration paths and AI integration are unfolding amid competition for technological leadership, increasing the risk of a fractured standard.
Business case remains unclear – Téral questioned who will pay for proposed 6G sensing applications and said commercial monetization remains an open question.
6G standardization faces unresolved disputes over spectrum, migration paths, and AI architecture, while geopolitical competition is increasing the risk of a fractured global standard, according to Stéphane Téral, founder and chief analyst at Téral Research.
Speaking at RCR Wireless News’ 6G Forum 2026, Téral said the standardization process was moving toward evaluation and consensus building. One principle, however, already has broad support. “There is actually global consensus that 6G should be evolutionary rather than revolutionary,” he said.
Téral said the next mobile generation would retain important elements of existing mobile technology. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), used in 4G and 5G, remains central to the direction of 6G, while he said 5G channel-coding schemes will also be reused. He argued that continuity helps preserve a global ecosystem and supports device affordability.
Spectrum and architecture remain contentious
Spectrum is one of the principal unresolved issues. Téral said: “There is no complete consensus on spectrum.” He identified the 4 GHz and 6 GHz bands as areas of debate, while saying there was agreement around 7 GHz. He also highlighted the need to harmonize spectrum approaches across the U.S. and Canada. The World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 is another milestone in the spectrum discussion.
At 3GPP, Téral said participants had not agreed on which migration pathways should be permitted for the transition from 5G to 6G, including whether to authorize additional overlay and dual-connectivity configurations.
The role of AI in the core network is another area of disagreement. Téral outlined three approaches discussed in the industry: a separate AI domain, AI incorporated into 6G network functions, and AI agents integrated into networks. He has argued that a dedicated 6G core would not be necessary, saying existing 5G network functions could be sufficient.
Geopolitics increases fragmentation risks
Téral said the disagreements reflect a wider contest for technological leadership, with implications beyond telecommunications. “6G leadership is a proxy for future economic and military superiority,” he said.
He cited patent-application data that, in his presentation, showed China ahead of the U.S. He also warned that competing national and industry priorities could make agreement on a common standard more difficult.
However, Téral questioned how much a fragmented standard would change consumer device choices, particularly in the U.S. “I don’t think it’s going to change that much, because if you look at the choice options of devices, starting with the US, we’re not going to get Chinese devices anytime soon.”
Commercial returns remain an open question
Beyond standardization and geopolitics, Téral questioned whether proposed 6G applications would generate sufficient revenue to justify investment. Discussing sensing applications, including those that could help analyze weather patterns for agriculture, he challenged the assumption that use cases automatically translate into viable business models. “So, I see many use cases, but I just don’t see the money, because somebody has to pay for it,” he said.
Téral also distinguished AI used within existing telecom networks from the development of 6G itself. He said network AI has been used for optimization for more than a decade and that improving efficiency and cost structures remains a major focus, with AI agents becoming an increasingly prominent topic. He said monetization is a separate challenge, noting that Chinese service providers appear to be making progress in selling tokens.
Téral said the next stage of the 3GPP discussions would take place in December. He also pointed to WRC-27 as an important milestone in the ongoing spectrum debate.
