Ericsson and Nokia are promoting a gradual approach to the 6G core, while Huawei, ZTE and China Mobile are calling for a more fundamental redesign centered on artificial intelligence. The competing visions have emerged within 3GPP, the international organization responsible for mobile-network standards.
The dispute concerns the core, the software-based part of a mobile network that handles major functions and network decisions. Ericsson, Nokia and other European and U.S. stakeholders support using much of the 5G core as the foundation for 6G, with AI kept in a separate area or limited to specific network functions.
Seventeen operators outside China, including major European and U.S. carriers, submitted a joint position paper before a recent 3GPP plenary in Madrid. The companies said 6G architecture should begin with an evolutionary approach and treat the 5G core as an important starting point.
Ericsson has also described its 6G plans as an extension of existing technology. Nokia and Ericsson's position reflects the fact that some carriers have not yet moved from 4G cores to standalone 5G cores, according to the report.
Huawei, ZTE and China Mobile are seeking a different model. Their proposal would place AI agents deeply into network procedures and could lead to what Omdia analyst Ruth Brown described as connectivity handled by those agents. A European telecommunications executive who attended the Madrid meeting said there appeared to be little willingness to compromise, according to Light Reading.
The disagreement has raised concerns that 6G standards could split along Chinese and European-U.S. lines, although the source does not state whether such a division will occur. Light Reading also reported that EchoStar's pay-TV unit reduced its debt by about $4.35 billion during bankruptcy proceedings, while tower companies continue seeking payment and mediation is scheduled to continue through Nov. 4.
