3gpp, Release 20, 6g and AI

Cobelty will be present at the upcoming 3GPP SA1 and SA2 meetings to be held from August 25 to August 29 in Gothenburg. Cobelty will pay particular attention to what is shaping up to be a major development beyond 5G: the work currently being carried out as part of the Release 20 work program, which involves the presence of AI at all levels, from signal processing to connectivity management, network organization and orchestration, and aspects of infrastructure and service implementation.

This omnipresence of AI cannot be seen as simply presaging a major technological evolution. It is profoundly transformative in many ways for network and service operators as well as solution providers, including and perhaps especially in terms of uses, value chains, and economic models. It is profoundly transformative in many ways for network and service operators as well as solution providers, including and perhaps especially in terms of uses, value chains, and economic models. It significantly extends the software+cloud transformation brought about by 5G, IT convergence, and open access to resources through APIs, to name just a few examples. It relies on, and undoubtedly extends, cybersecurity issues. It raises new questions in terms of business issues, such as operations and maintenance. It also raises important questions in terms of regulatory compliance, such as with regard to the AIAct, on multiple levels of a highly operational nature. It also broadens the spectrum of essential technologies from an intellectual property perspective.

This omnipresence, combined with its potential for transformation, brings with it a level of complexity that is far from being purely technological and may also constitute a barrier to entry into what will commonly be referred to as “6G.” In order to address these issues in a sufficiently holistic manner, multiple areas of expertise must be brought together. Few have and will have the necessary resources and skills. However, as with any transformation, this is also an important opportunity for the creation of startups, the development of SMEs, and the transfer of research results. This is the motivation and reason why Cobelty exists and is part of an ecosystem approach aimed at offering and developing the necessary support for these actors.