Colin Bauer, Market Initiative Manager Wireless Communications, Keysight Technologies
New Olympic Sport: The metaverse
The 2028 Summer Games will welcome 6G to the global stage. As a worldwide Olympic partner, expect Samsung to unveil a 6G deployment which will be a pivotal part of how viewers consume events. For example, you can expect one of the two opening ceremonies to happen in the metaverse.
The metaverse will also feature prominently in the user experience, enabling fans to participate in some Olympic events. We will also see certain sports and, potentially, e-sports run a 6G metaverse olympics in parallel with the actual games, with at least one medal awarded within the metaverse. As brands draw inspiration from the Olympics, there will be a subsequent explosion of 6G use cases throughout 2028.
Gen Z and younger is the 6G sweet spot
Ever used a Blackberry? Then 6G is not for you. The network is being built and set up for those currently 25 and under. These individuals are digital natives and they have no reservations about participating in virtual groups or sharing everything online. In 2023 and beyond, expect to see more discussion about how these younger generations will be monetised in 6G.
6G will foster geographically inclusive world – but it comes at a cost
Rural areas and remote industries like rail, offshore drilling, or broad mining will benefit from the enhanced connectivity of 6G. In addition, the network’s ultra-low latency will further accelerate high-speed finance. However, these and other 6G benefits will come at a cost, as the technology will be far more expensive than its predecessors. Given this, you can expect adoption disparities.
Spectrum challenges a gatekeeper to further network innovation
6G is coming and, while much work remains to actualize its potential, we have enough bandwidth to make it happen. But the industry is running short on spectrum, which will ultimately become a barrier to future technologies. As such, expect the 2030s to focus on solving the spectrum challenges in order to allow future network innovations to thrive.
