Global Coalition on Telecoms and UK Set Out Security Standards for 6G Mobile

The UK Government and the Global Coalition on Telecoms (GCOT), which also includes Australia, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Finland and the USA, have today published a joint statement that appears to set out their expectations for how the next generation of 6G mobile (mobile broadband) technology should adopt stricter standards to improve network security and resilience.

The future 6G standard is currently still in the middle of its Research and Development (R&D) phase, and most observers don’t expect to see the first commercial network builds surfacing until around 2030 (a few countries expect early field trials around 2027/28). Suffice to say that a lot of work is currently ongoing to help produce the final standard and develop prototype solutions.

The next gen mobile technology is currently thought to be aiming for theoretical peak data rates of up to 1Tbps (Terabits per second) and may be able to harness radio spectrum up to the TeraHertz (THz) bands, while also using AI optimisations, new antenna designs and other changes to improve network efficiency. By comparison, 5G was designed to work between 450MHz and 52GHz, with top theoretical speeds of up to 20Gbps (Gigabits per second).

However, the GCOT believes the development of 6G networks must also be understood as a matter of broader public and strategic interest, rather than a purely commercial or technological undertaking like with previous generations. In that sense they’re now highlighting how the security and resilience of 6G networks must also be recognised as critical aspects of that wider picture.

“That matters to industry as much as to governments and regulators; we will only be able to maximise the commercial potential of 6G networks if consumers and businesses can trust them to provide secure and resilient services and to safeguard the privacy of user data,” said the GCOT. The full statement then goes on to outline the “critical security and resilience considerations” that GCOT’s partners recommend be prioritised in the ongoing development of the 6G system.

GCOT’s Core Principles for 6G Security and Resilience

➤ Containment:

The 6G system limits the ability of malicious actors or software to propagate through the network.

➤ Confidentiality:

The 6G system is built by design to protect the privacy of user data and able to process and provide data confidentially, e.g. it is secure against eavesdropping or attackers, even for data shared over channels which are not physically secure or known.

➤ Integrity:

The 6G system is able to maintain the integrity of data providing guarantees that any changes to data, as it travels through the network, are perceptible. Equally, the integrity of network infrastructure itself should be assured.

➤ Resilience:

The 6G system is measurably resilient and able to maintain service availability for users even in challenging circumstance – in particular for requirements like emergency or first-responder voice and data services, which must be future proofed in the transition to 6G. This includes secure and resilient supply chains.

➤ Regulatory Compliance:

The operators of 6G systems are able to fulfil the requirements of relevant national regulations and legislation. The following principles set out some of the key technological means for 6G to achieve these outcomes. The introductory text in Sections 3 and 4 provide some overarching framing for Security and Resilience respectively, followed by specific principles in the subsequent subsections. Each principle is set out in grey at the top of each section, with explanatory text beneath.

The aforementioned principles will help to guide ongoing GCOT collaboration on these issues, but they are also intended as a guide for all relevant stakeholders. Speaking of which, a sizeable chunk of the industry has already given its support to this approach, including major companies and network operators like 1Finity, AT&T, ATIS Next G Alliance, BT (EE), Ericsson, KDDI, Keysight, NEC, NTT Docomo, NVIDIA, OREX SAI, Qualcomm, Rakuten Mobile, Samsung Electronics, SoftBank, Telus, Videotron, VMO2 (Virgin Media and O2) and Vodafone (Three UK).

Gabriela Styf Sjoman, MD of Research and Commercialisation at BT Group, said:

“We’re proud to have worked closely with the UK Government on the 6G Security & Resilience Principles, and we fully support this shared commitment to shaping robust, future‑ready next‑generation networks. These principles will guide our approach as we help define the standards, technologies and partnerships that will underpin the evolution of 6G.”

Rob Joyce, Director of Mobile Access Engineering at VMO2, said:

“Although the commercial launch of 6G networks is some years away, it is helpful to establish at an early stage the principles that will guide the development of 6G and ensure its success. The principles have been informed by industry input and we are pleased to have been part of this process.”

Marco Zangani, Director of Network Strategy and Architecture at Vodafone Group, said:

“At Vodafone Group and VodafoneThree, we are proud to play a leading role in shaping the future of 6G, including through our active participation in 3GPP. This work is essential to protecting customers from emerging cyber threats and strengthening the resilience of our networks. We strongly welcome the launch of these important principles and the commitment of participating governments to work closely with industry in pursuit of this shared goal.”

The full ‘GCOT Security and Resilience Principles for 6G‘ document then goes on to outline some of the specific features that they want to see implemented, such as built-in support for OpenRAN, support for quantum-safe cryptography from day one, autonomous detection of disturbance and the capability to reroute traffic through alternative access networks, implementation of complementary and augmentative non-GNSS Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems (i.e. in case GNSS is disrupted) and AI-driven mechanisms to more quickly and effectively monitor and respond to potential cybersecurity threats and incidents etc.

Overall, we think the goal of making 6G more secure and resilient by design is a good approach, which seems to have already garnered a lot of international support. But it remains to be seen whether this is something that is going to win support from countries and network operators further afield. Equally 6G still needs to be able to work seamlessly with existing 4G and 5G networks, which won’t follow all of the same standards.