Telia and Ericsson launch 6G field trials in Sweden

Telia and Ericsson have launched one of the Nordic region’s first major outdoor trials of 6G, ahead of the technology’s expected commercial roll-out around 2030-2032. The trials form part of a new joint roadmap for 6G development in Sweden, under which Telia and Ericsson aim to position the country as a global leader in secure, sustainable and AI-powered digital infrastructure.

In the trials, experts from both companies are evaluating 6G coverage, signal performance, uplink capacity, reliability and latency, with the goal of optimizing how 6G networks are designed and deployed. The trials tap Ericsson’s pre-standard 6G capabilities in the upper 6 GHz frequency band.

Telia and Ericsson’s 6G roadmap covers technology development, industry collaboration, security and spectrum planning.

6G has the potential to benefit customers in numerous industries, with applications ranging from autonomous transportation, industrial robotics and critical infrastructure monitoring. Building on the capabilities of advanced 5G, 6G could combine high-performance connectivity with AI, distributed computing and integrated sensing, enabling networks to detect and respond to physical surroundings.

Anders Olsson, Head of Telia Sweden: “Our investments in robust, secure and comprehensive 5G networks serve as a natural stepping-stone towards the next generation of connectivity: 6G. We are now bringing together industry, academia and the public sector to ensure Sweden takes a leading role in 6G development, based on the needs of society and businesses, and to contribute to a more secure and competitive Sweden.”

Patrick Johansson, Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ericsson: “Sweden and the Nordic region have a proud tradition of being early adopters of mobility. Today’s announcement indicates our companies’ intention to continue that tradition. We look forward to working closely with Telia on the path to 6G.”

As part of the 6G roadmap, Telia and Ericsson will build on existing initiatives, including the NorthStar innovation program and Digital Arena Sweden, to enable businesses, researchers and public-sector organizations to explore potential 6G applications. Initial 6G capabilities are expected to be available to partners in NorthStar from 2029, ahead of the commercial launch of 6G.

The companies will also assess future spectrum requirements, including the 6 GHz and 600 MHz bands, to support the projected capacity and coverage needs of 6G networks. In addition, Telia intends to bring together stakeholders to help define a national 6G security architecture for Sweden, in which cybersecurity and resilience are embedded from the outset.