Ericsson and Telia Begin 6G Field Trials in Sweden

The trials will test coverage, signal performance, uplink capacity, reliability and latency, TahawulTech reported, citing Mobile World Live. Ericsson is using pre-standard technology in the upper 6GHz band, spectrum that could form part of future 6G standards, DatacenterDynamics reported. Later testing is likely to cover the 6GHz and 600MHz bands.

The companies say the work is meant to give Sweden the AI-ready network infrastructure it needs to become a major provider of secure digital equipment. They are aiming to bring 6G to market in the 2030 to 2032 timeframe.

Anders Olsson, head of Telia Sweden, said the development is guided by "the needs of society and businesses" and would "contribute to a more secure and competitive" country. Patrick Johansson, Ericsson's head of EMEA, said Nordic countries have usually been early adopters of new mobile technologies, and that the work with Telia continues that pattern.

The two companies set up the NorthStar programme in 2023 to adapt 5G for industrial and enterprise use. Earlier this year they moved on to 6G with the Digital Arena Sweden research programme. Olsson said the partners have broad research ties with industrial, academic and public-sector organisations.

The trials come as equipment makers and operators try to influence global 6G standards, which are still being written. Early field results from vendors such as Ericsson help shape which frequency bands and technical approaches end up in those standards. That matters to operators everywhere, including in the Gulf, where telecom groups have been early adopters of 5G and are now setting out their own 6G plans. For enterprises, the companies are presenting 6G as the network layer for AI-heavy uses that need fast uplink and low latency.