Ericsson Showcases 6G Research and Ecosystem Progress at MWC 2026

Ericsson presented updates on its work related to the emerging 6G ecosystem during Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026. As the telecommunications industry transitions from early 6G research toward commercial preparation, Ericsson participated in several announcements and demonstrations with device, silicon, and computing partners focused on validating foundational technologies and advancing ecosystem readiness for AI-enabled 6G networks.

Industry efforts toward 6G are increasingly focused on developing interoperable, end-to-end technologies that can support future network architectures. Ericsson highlighted the role of current deployments such as 5G Standalone and 5G Advanced as part of the transition toward more automated and intelligence-driven networks. These developments include integrating AI capabilities across multiple network layers, including RAN compute, software, transport, management platforms, and the core network. Such integration is expected to support more autonomous network operations and contribute to the eventual development of 6G systems.

The company also outlined ongoing work to embed intelligence in network infrastructure, including radios powered by Ericsson silicon, as well as compute and software platforms designed to support emerging workloads such as generative AI, agentic AI, and physical AI applications.

Several collaborations and ecosystem initiatives were highlighted at MWC:

• Ericsson and Intel are collaborating on AI-related technologies for future networks, including work across compute platforms, RAN, packet core, and cloud environments, with a focus on security and AI-driven network functions.

• As a founding premier member of the Linux Foundation’s OCUDU initiative, Ericsson is contributing architectural guidance and working on an open-source CU/DU software stack aimed at improving portability and interoperability.

• Ericsson is working with NVIDIA and other partners on platforms designed to integrate AI capabilities across the RAN, edge, and core network environments.

• Ericsson is participating in an industry initiative with Qualcomm, announced at MWC, that outlines a roadmap for potential 6G commercial systems beginning around 2029.

Erik Ekudden, Group Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson, says "We are already on the journey toward an intelligent fabric, and it is happening right now. With clear proof points across the entire network, we are proving that a fully AI-powered network is not a distant capability five years out. By bringing intelligence into every domain today, we are giving the industry the foundation it needs to scale the next generation of AI."

Device Ecosystem Development

Device and network interoperability is a key requirement for future 6G systems, which are expected to be standardized toward the end of the decade. At MWC 2026, Ericsson demonstrated several prototype collaborations with device and chipset manufacturers:

• Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies demonstrated prototype testing of potential 6G physical-layer capabilities, including exploration of cmWave in the 6–8 GHz range and improvements in uplink performance.

• Ericsson and MediaTek integrated a 6G radio testbed with a MediaTek user equipment prototype, completing a data call that validated new 6G features designed to reduce latency at scale and meet the data demands of AI-enhanced extended reality (XR).

• Ericsson and Apple demonstrated multi-RAT spectrum sharing between 5G and a simulated 6G system to illustrate a potential migration path between network generations.

Industry Timeline

The first implementable 6G specifications from the 3GPP standards body are expected around 2029. Ericsson stated that ongoing collaboration with industry partners is intended to help establish interoperability and deployment readiness by that timeline. Current investments in technologies such as 5G Standalone, 5G Advanced, and network APIs are expected to form part of the technical foundation for future 6G networks.

To explore the roadmap to commercialization and the opportunities ahead, watch the MWC 2026 panel discussion, How to Make 6G a Winning Proposition, featuring Ericsson alongside industry leaders from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Qualcomm.

Source: Ericsson

Stay Connected with ISE Magazine 

Subscribe to our newsletters and magazine for the latest telecom insights, explore the current issue for in-depth features and strategies, and register for upcoming webinars to learn directly from industry leaders.