Noting that mobile connectivity has been one of the most powerful economic engines of modern Australia and that the emergence of advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-native networks could be the key to opening the potential for new use cases in public safety, agriculture and weather detection, among others, Australian telco Telstra has signed a letter of intent with Ericsson to collaborate on the evolution of 6G networks.
The letter sets out Telstra and Ericsson’s commitment to work together on research and trials to drive momentum towards the launch of 6G, including collaboration on 3GPP standards evolution and access to Ericsson’s 6G testbed capabilities.
The agreement is regarded by the operator as reinforcing its commitment to keep Australia at the forefront of digital innovation as part of its Connected Future 30 strategy.
Telstra has for some time been carrying out test and development work in the realm of 6G, such as conducting 6GHz trials under extreme data loads in Anglesea, Victoria, assessing the electromagnetic energy from its prospective wireless communications to ensure the safety of the new mobile technology.
Building on what it calls “a strong shared history”, Telstra said it is focused on ensuring the next era of connectivity delivers tangible outcomes for customers – prioritising performance, security and sustainability, and reflecting the evolving needs of Australians. It suggested that unlocking the benefits of 6G would also depend on sustained investment and certainty around spectrum access – areas where it said that Ericsson and itself continue to play an active role.
As part of the agreement, Ericsson has invited Telstra engineering teams to test new concepts and technologies at its 6G testbed in Sweden. Ericsson’s 6G testbed is claimed to provide a “dynamic platform” for communications service providers to collaboratively develop and test 6G concepts and technologies.
Our focus is on making sure Australia remains at the forefront of digital innovation, with connectivity that helps people, businesses and communities thrive Shailin Sehgal, Telstra
In addition, Ericsson engineering teams will also spend time at Telstra’s Innovation Centre on Australia’s Gold Coast to test how 6G operates in different geographic conditions as part of a reciprocal exchange of ideas and capabilities.
Commenting on the partnership and the expected outcomes, Shailin Sehgal, Telstra’s group executive of global networks and technology, said the collaboration with Ericsson demonstrates how it is delivering on its Connected Future 30 strategy by continuing to build the technology momentum that will underpin 6G.
“As the first G which is AI-native, 6G will be the most intelligent network yet – capable of advanced network connectivity, and new network-as-a-product innovations such as the ability to sense the environment around the network. Our focus is on making sure Australia remains at the forefront of digital innovation, with connectivity that helps people, businesses and communities thrive,” added Sehgal.
Ericsson’s chief technology officer, Erik Ekudden, said it was on a clear and exciting trajectory towards AI-native 6G. “6G will redefine what a network fundamentally is – not just an AI-native technology platform, but a platform that senses, adapts and orchestrates resources to deliver outcomes for enterprises and society at scale; simply an intelligent fabric,” he said.
“Realising that potential requires the kind of early, deliberate collaboration we are building together. Australia is a market at the forefront of network innovation where the combination of operator ambition, technical depth and innovation culture makes this genuinely meaningful. Our work with Telstra – spanning research, standards and real-world testing – paves the way for the next era of advanced connectivity,” Ekudden added.
That collaboration seeks to establish a framework for ongoing technology evolution, enabling the practical deployment of innovations in the 5G era while laying the foundation for long-term 6G research and standardisation.
