With the commercial launch date of 6G mobile services and networks likely three years away, and before final official standards for the next generation platform have yet to be ratified, Ericsson and Telia Sweden have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build on the continued evolution of 5G and to collaborate on the path to 6G to position Sweden as a European frontrunner.
The two companies have already committed to working on 6G development. In June 2026, they announced the opening of a national connectivity and next-generation test centre in Sweden. The facility has the fundamental aim of strengthening Swedish industry by providing early access to advanced digital solutions in 5G, 6G and AI.
The 6G environment builds on the Telia-Ericsson innovation programme NorthStar, which since 2023 has been providing access to advances in 5G capabilities. In addition to Ericsson and Telia, the centre is supported by Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova through the Avancerad Digitalisering innovation programme, the collaboration brings together RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (and its subsidiary AstaZero), Future by Lund and others.
Under the initiative, Ericsson will be responsible for establishing and progressing a “unique” pre-commercial 6G test environment in collaboration with Lund University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
The test centre will look to facilitate industries, from mining and transport to defence and medtech, in exploring the potential of 6G. The insights will also feed into the global 6G standardisation process. It will attempt to establish a shared digital portal and common framework for testing, making advanced technology more accessible to the entire Swedish innovation ecosystem.
The MoU encompasses 5G Standalone, 5G Advanced, network APIs and AI-based automation technologies and services. The firms note that with the growing capabilities of technologies such as AI already being enabled by 5G, the path to 6G – and the increased capabilities and network demands of that era – will be a mix of evolution and innovation, building on 5G success and strengths.
Under the MoU, the companies will conduct trials and demonstrations of relevant 6G capabilities and use cases; explore security, resilience, coverage, performance and energy efficiency solutions; work with ecosystem partners including industry, academia, startups and public-sector stakeholders; contribute to discussions on standards, skills, test environments, spectrum and other policy/market conditions; and support, where relevant, collaboration through national test and innovation environments.
To mark the launch of the MoU, the Ericsson and Telia have conducted “one of the Nordic region’s first” over-the-air demonstrations of pre-standard 6G technology in the upper 6 GHz frequency band – a spectrum that is expected to be widely used in the 6G era.
Commenting on the MoU and its aims, Anders Olsson, head of Telia Sweden, said: “Our investments in robust, secure and comprehensive 5G networks serve as a natural stepping-stone towards the next generation of connectivity: 6G. We are now bringing together industry, academia and the public sector to ensure Sweden takes a leading role in 6G development, based on the needs of society and businesses, and to contribute to a more secure and competitive Sweden.”
Patrick Johansson, head of EMEA at Ericsson, added: “Sweden and the Nordic region have a proud tradition of being early adopters of mobility. Today’s announcement indicates our companies’ intention to continue that tradition. We look forward to working closely with Telia on the path to 6G.”
