Is 6G the technology we need for the future? Will the AI be the engine of 6G? These and other questions will be answered at the ‘5G Forum’ in Seville

• The use of Artificial Intelligence in 6G has generated much debate among experts, who debate whether its contribution will be sufficient to justify a multi-billion dollar investment.
• 5G has already represented a significant financial effort, with a return on investment that has not yet been fully realised, raising doubts among experts and operators about its profitability.
• The Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – will host the three face-to-face sessions of the eighth edition on Monday 12, Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 May; the event will be completed in virtual format on Thursday 15 and Friday 16.

Will Artificial Intelligence really drive 6G? Is it necessary to have as much bandwidth as proposed for 6G? What measures need to be taken for 6G to work efficiently? Will 6G be a costly and difficult investment for operators to make profitable? As the telecoms industry begins to outline the future of 6G technology, questions arise as to whether the next generation of mobile networks will truly be a revolution or simply an evolution with incremental improvements.

The questions that arise are numerous and many of them will be answered at the eighth edition of the 5G Forum, which will turn Seville into the capital of 5G and 6G technology from 12-16 May. The Cartuja Auditorium – managed by Yventu – will host the three on-site sessions (Monday 12 to Wednesday 14), while the virtual sessions of the event will be held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16.

The 5G Forum is already consolidated as one of the most important events in Spain and Europe on 5G technology. With a view to its 2025 edition, digital cybersecurity will be one of the new horizons to be explored, although it will not be the only topic to be discussed. Among others, 6G technology will become one of the main themes of this forum.

The role of AI in the future of 6G
The 5G experience has taught valuable lessons about the gap between the expectations generated and the reality of its implementation, which makes it necessary to take a more cautious look at the promises made about 6G. In this context, Narcís Cardona, director of the 6G Joint Innovation Centre at the iTEAM Research Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and vice-president of the one6G Association, will present his vision, stating that “one of the central issues in the current debates is the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 6G“.

“While many experts point to it as the key driver of the next generation of networks, its practical application has yet to be demonstrated,” says Narcís Cardona. Network automation, intelligent spectrum management and resource optimisation are some of the areas where AI could make a difference, but will it be enough to justify a multi-billion dollar investment?

A costly investment that is difficult to make profitable
It is precisely this investment that is another of the issues on the table and which concerns operators. 5G has already represented a significant financial effort, with a return on investment that has yet to be fully realised. “If 6G follows a similar path, it could become another technology that is costly for companies to monetise and not very visible to end users,” adds the expert. This is why doubts arise and many experts question whether the economic effort needed to push this technology forward is worth it.

What lessons can be learned from the implementation of 5G to improve the development of 6G? How do hyper-futuristic visions affect the success of new technologies such as 6G? What were the promises made about 5G and how do they compare to the promises about 6G? Is 6G the technology that users really need for the future? There are many unknowns surrounding this technology that is set to revolutionise the future of communication, technology, mobile networks, industry and, ultimately, society in general.

All the conferences will be available for on-demand viewing through ‘El Observatorio’, the digital platform of Medina Media Events, where each conference will be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, free of charge.

The eighth edition of the 5G Forum is organised by Medina Media Events and has the support of Orange, Telefónica, DIGI, Netmetrix, Huawei, ZTE, GMV, NTT Data, Vicomtech, Gradiant, i2cat, Open Nebula, Ayscom, Keysight, Teltronic, Datatronics, Oracle, University of Málaga, Axiom, Wavecontrol, Secmotic, Nokia, Rohde & Schwarz, Hispasat, Circet, Secmotic, Iplus F, Dihbu, Gsertel, Kenmei, AIFunded, Opossum and AEVAC, among others.