In a newly released report, the industry body suggested that wireless networks should collaborate rather than compete to ensure uninterrupted connectivity across urban, rural, and indoor environments for next-generation standards.
WBA’s report suggests that converged solutions like Wi-Fi Calling and SIM-based seamless Wi-Fi authentication have lagged in deployments due to cost issues, complexity, and the need to harmonise fragmented user experiences.
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“Collaboration between cellular, Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies stakeholders, including operators, vendors, and vertical industry players, is crucial for the success of 6G,” said Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of the WBA.
WBA’s report outlined five key pillars it believes are crucial for 6G, which include calling for global collaboration and standardisation to “avoid fragmentation and ensure interoperability”.
The Vision for 6G report states that instead of employing a broad focus as with 5G, approaches to 6G should instead concentrate on what WBA described as “practical verticals” likely to benefit from reliable, low-latency connectivity — such as healthcare, smart cities, and industrial automation.
The industry body said that operators must also balance increasing data demands with operational efficiency, touting Wi-Fi’s cost-effectiveness as a way to complement 6G to reduce operational costs and network densification.
“By centring its vision on densification, capacity, efficiency, and collaboration, the WBA aims to make 6G not just a technological leap but a practical solution for global connectivity challenges,” Rodrigues added.
The WBA will be promoting actionable steps to drive industry alignment, including establishing innovation labs for real-world testing and vendor collaboration, developing related frameworks, and promoting affordable and scalable solutions like Federated Roaming.
The 6G Vision Statement was prepared with the input and support from leading telco members of the WBA, including AT&T, BT, Reliance Jio, Turk Telekom, and Cisco, among others.
“The convergence of 6G and Wi-Fi will enable interoperability between different communication protocols and architectures, creating a more efficient and user-centric ecosystem,” said Dr. Mehmet Ozdem, director of network design and service management at Turk Telekom. “This convergence will play a strategic role for operators by accelerating digital transformation.
“WBA will provide guidance and leadership in this area through its work with technology stakeholders and industry leaders.”
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