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6G Summit (Hosted by ATIS Next G Alliance) - Recorded Remarks of Alan Davidson

“6G Summit”
Hosted by ATIS Next G Alliance

Recorded remarks of Alan Davidson
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Irving, Texas

May 21, 2024

As prepared for delivery

Preparing for the 6G Future

Hi, I’m Alan Davidson and I lead NTIA, the tech and telecom agency within the Commerce Department. I wish I could join you all in person, but I am grateful for the opportunity to participate virtually and share NTIA’s views on 6G with all of you.

We are in the midst of a long boom of mobile communications connectivity and productivity. From 3G to 4G to 5G, advances in mobile data in particular have brought the Internet to billions of people around the world. It has been an amazing success story, powered by global standards and technology innovation.

6G will be the next step in that evolution.  

While we are still realizing the full benefits of 5G, we at NTIA know from past experience that we need to be planning ahead. So it is not too early to be preparing for 6G. In particular, it is so important for policymakers to consider how we can harness and support the innovations this next generation of technology will bring.

One of the exciting possibilities of 6G is network virtualization and openness, which presents incredible possibilities including: 

  • Maximizing the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning throughout the network stack. 
  • Facilitating ubiquitous coverage, including in the most hard-to-reach areas, and providing users with a seamless connectivity experience.  
  • Reduced power consumption and increased energy efficiency.
  • Innovative new business models and more resilient and diversified supply chains.

At NTIA, we have worked with our like-minded partners around the world to lay the foundation for a 6G that is secure, open, and resilient by design. Earlier this year at Mobile World Congress Barcelona, the United States announced a joint statement endorsing these principles for 6G R&D with nine other governments across North America, Europe, and Asia. Then just last month, we announced our U.S.-EU 6G vision, which builds on those same international principles as well as the U.S.-EU industry roadmap developed by the Next G Alliance and its European counterpart.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the release of NTIA’s 6G Request for Comment to help promote the principles of 6G security, openness and resilience.

Our inquiry seeks comment on the state of development of 6G wireless communications, including proposed priorities, potential use cases, and research and development.

We hope to receive input from a broad range of stakeholders in the private sector, academia, civil society, and the public sector on how to advance 6G.

The responses — due in August — will be used to develop a report and inform U.S. policy for the 6G future. That includes support for U.S. industry to play a leading role in the development of global standards and innovation ecosystems for 6G.

I’ll close by saying that I look forward to your feedback on this inquiry. And I want to thank the Next G Alliance for their leadership in moving the 6G conversation forward in North America.

Together, we will promote open, interoperable, secure and reliable approaches to this fast-approaching technology.

Thank you.

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