Samsung Electronics will be at the forefront of standardizing 6G technologies with the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R)¹ until 2029.

Researcher HyoungJin Choi from Samsung Research was named chair of the Coordination Group on IMT-2030 (6G) at the ITU-R Working Party 5D (WP 5D) meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 25 to July 2. It will be Choi’s second time chairing a group at the ITU-R involved in 6G standardization as he had previously led the 6G Vision Group from 2021 to 2023.

The Coordination Group will be responsible for defining the process for developing 6G technology standards as well as creating the submission template for candidate 6G technologies and reviewing candidate proposals.

The standardization of next-generation communications involves a highly competitive and collaborative process among different stakeholders.

In November 2023, the ITU-R released the IMT-2030 Framework Recommendation, outlining the future and general direction of 6G. By 2026, the ITU-R aims to establish the technical performance requirements of 6G technologies. These requirements will serve as the foundation for candidate 6G technologies to be developed by standards organizations like the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)² and later submitted to the ITU-R. The ITU-R will then evaluate and coordinate the submissions, with technical specifications for 6G expected to be finalized by 2030.

With the IMT-2030 Framework Recommendation providing key performance indicators, usage scenarios and a roadmap for the standardization, spectrum and commercialization of 6G, the industry is now poised to embark on detailed standardization efforts. Moving forward, countries and companies will vie for leadership in setting 6G communications standards, including performance requirements and frequency bands.

Samsung will actively engage with influential standards organizations and continue developing innovative communications technologies en route to reinforcing its position as a global leader in 6G standardization.

¹ The ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICT) with memberships of 193 Member States and more than 1000 companies, universities, research institutes and international and regional organizations. The ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is responsible for regulating and standardizing global radio communication.
² 3GPP is dedicated to developing the global unified technical specifications for mobile communications.

View the full article