6G news and analysis for the week ending Friday, 28th November, 2025.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered one of the most direct political statements yet on 6G supply chain sovereignty this week, declaring that Chinese components will not be permitted in the country’s future 6G networks. The announcement, made at the German Retail Association congress in Berlin, extends the existing programme to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from critical 5G infrastructure by 2029. Merz signalled he would raise the issue at the European Summit for Digital Sovereignty, framing it as a continental challenge that extends to reducing dependence on both China and the United States.
On spectrum, the GSMA welcomed guidance from the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) that would allocate between 665 MHz and 700 MHz of upper 6 GHz spectrum for mobile use in Europe. The GSMA confirmed this exceeds the 200 MHz minimum operators need for 6G launches, though it cautioned that the current 540 MHz priority allocation alone would have fallen short of requirements for advanced mobile networks.
Meanwhile in Japan, NTT DOCOMO and partners including Nokia Bell Labs and SK Telecom achieved the first outdoor demonstration of AI-driven wireless technology for 6G, with AI applied to both transmitter and receiver sides doubling communication speeds in the most challenging conditions. Combined with SoftBank’s separate trial demonstrating the viability of centimetre-wave spectrum in Tokyo’s Ginza district, Japan is building a substantial body of real-world 6G evidence that will inform both standards and spectrum decisions ahead of WRC-27.
Germany bans Chinese components from 6G
Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that the German government will not allow components from China in future 6G networks. Speaking at the German Retail Association congress in Berlin, Merz also confirmed plans to replace Chinese components in existing 5G networks with domestically produced alternatives. The announcement was reported by Handelsblatt and Bloomberg.
Merz said he intends to raise the issue at the European Summit for Digital Sovereignty, where the industry should discuss reducing dependence on both China and the United States. He ruled out complete decoupling from China, noting it remains Germany’s second-largest trading partner. The statement came days after Germany’s Federal Network Agencytightened security requirements for 5G network components, and following a CDU/CSU/SPD legislative agreement to ban equipment deemed insecure from German telecommunications networks.
What’s new: This is the first explicit statement from a German Chancellor extending the existing Huaweiexclusion policy from 5G into 6G. The 5G rip-and-replace agreement, reached last year, set a 2029 deadline for removing critical Huawei and ZTE components from radio networks. Merz’s 6G statement goes further, ruling out Chinese components entirely rather than only “critical” ones. The European Commission is also reportedly moving to convert its existing recommendation on high-risk vendors into a legally binding obligation.
Why this matters: Germany is 3GPP’s third-largest member country by number of participating organisations, and home to Deutsche Telekom, one of Europe’s most active standards contributors. A blanket ban on Chinese components in 6G would have significant supply chain implications for European operators already navigating the costly 5G rip-out process. The definition of “self-produced” remains unclear, and the announcement was made during a Q&A session rather than in a prepared policy document. However, the direction of travel is unambiguous: Europe is moving toward legally mandated exclusion of Chinese network technology rather than voluntary guidelines.
Implications for 6G standards: While 3GPP standards are technology-neutral, vendor exclusion policies shape which companies can commercially benefit from the specifications they help write. Chinese companies including Huawei, ZTE and China Mobile are among the most prolific 3GPP contributors. A formal European exclusion framework could accelerate regional divergence in 6G implementation even as the global standards process aims for a unified specification.
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GSMA welcomes EU upper 6 GHz spectrum guidance
The GSMA praised guidance from the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) that would allocate between 665 MHz and 700 MHz of upper 6 GHz spectrum for mobile use in Europe. The RSPG opinion recommends that either 665 MHz or 700 MHz in the 6.425 GHz to 7.250 GHz range will ultimately be designated for mobile services. The story was reported by Mobile World Live.
The GSMA confirmed this allocation would meet the 200 MHz minimum that operators require for 6G launches. The current priority allocation covers 540 MHz in the 6.585 GHz to 7.125 GHz range, with provision to add either 160 MHz (6.425–6.585 GHz) or 125 MHz (7.125–7.250 GHz) after WRC-27 in late 2027. The GSMA argued the 540 MHz priority allocation alone would have been insufficient to deliver advanced mobile networks.
What’s new: The RSPG guidance represents the most concrete European position on upper 6 GHz allocation for mobile services to date. By signalling that additional spectrum beyond the initial 540 MHz priority band will be made available, the RSPG is providing operators with the planning certainty they need for 6G equipment development. The GSMA noted that other regions have already allocated the entire upper 6 GHz band to mobile services, giving them at least 700 MHz of capacity even before WRC-27.
Why this matters: Spectrum availability is the foundation of any new mobile generation. European operators have consistently argued that they need significantly more mid-band spectrum to deliver 6G services competitive with those in Asia and North America. The upper 6 GHz band has been the subject of a protracted contest between mobile operators and the Wi-Fi community, and the RSPG’s guidance clearly favours mobile allocation. The GSMA’s warning that the initial 540 MHz would have been insufficient underscores operator anxiety about Europe falling behind regions that have already secured larger allocations. With WRC-27 approaching, this guidance sets the European negotiating position.
Implications for 6G standards: The upper 6 GHz band aligns with the centimetre-wave frequency range (FR3) that 3GPP is expected to standardise for 6G. Having regulatory certainty on the amount of spectrum available allows equipment vendors to begin designing products and operators to plan network architectures. The post-WRC-27 provision for additional spectrum also signals that European positions at the conference will push for the wider allocation.
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DOCOMO achieves outdoor AI-driven wireless trial
NTT DOCOMO announced the first outdoor demonstration using real-time transceiver systems with AI-powered wireless technology for 6G. The trial was conducted in collaboration with NTT, Nokia Bell Labs and SK Telecom at three locations in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The AI technology improved throughput by up to 100 per cent compared with conventional methods, effectively doubling communication speed in the most challenging conditions.
The “AI-AI technology” applies artificial intelligence to both the transmitting and receiving sides of the wireless interface, optimising modulation and demodulation according to radio conditions. Previous indoor testing had demonstrated the approach; this trial aimed to verify performance in outdoor environments where radio conditions vary due to temperature, weather and obstacles. Under the most complex propagation conditions, the technology achieved an average throughput improvement of 18 per cent and a maximum of 100 per cent.
What’s new: This is described as the world’s first outdoor demonstration of AI-driven wireless technology using real-time transceiver systems. The trial evaluated performance across three distinct outdoor environments: a public road with curves at speeds up to 40 km/h, an environment with partial obstacles, and a road with few obstacles at speeds up to 60 km/h. The move from indoor to outdoor validation is a critical step, as outdoor propagation is significantly more variable and unpredictable.
Why this matters: AI-native air interfaces are one of the most prominent features proposed for 6G, appearing in virtually every major 3GPP 6G Workshop submission. The DOCOMO trial demonstrates that AI can compensate for signal degradation in complex real-world conditions, not just in controlled laboratory settings. The collaboration between a Japanese operator (DOCOMO), a European research lab (Nokia Bell Labs) and a Korean operator (SK Telecom) reflects the cross-regional partnerships that are increasingly common in 6G R&D. The results complement the AI-powered 6G receiver work by Nokia Bell Labs and Rohde & Schwarz demonstrated at the Brooklyn 6G Summit earlier this month, though that focused on the receiver side alone.
Implications for 6G standards: The AI-AI approach, applying machine learning to both ends of the wireless link, aligns directly with the 3GPP Release 20 study items on AI/ML for the air interface. DOCOMO is the rapporteur for the 6G Radio study item in 3GPP RAN, and field trial data demonstrating real-world AI gains will carry significant weight in shaping how AI capabilities are specified for 6G.
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SoftBank validates centimetre-wave spectrum in Tokyo
SoftBank announced it successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of centimetre-wave spectrum in the 7 GHz band for wide-area coverage and stable communication quality in urban environments. The outdoor trial, conducted in cooperation with Nokia, has been underway since June 2025 in Tokyo’s Ginza district. Three experimental base stations supporting Massive MIMO were installed and evaluated against commercial 3.9 GHz 5G base stations.
Dr. Akihiro Nakao, Professor at the University of Tokyo and Co-Chairman of XG Mobile Promotion Forum (XGMF), commented that the evaluation “serves as highly valuable evidence from Japan demonstrating the effectiveness of 6G network design using the 7 GHz band.”
What’s new: The trial used the 7,180–7,280 MHz frequency range (FR3 centimetre-wave) with three Massive MIMO base stations. In line-of-sight environments, the 7 GHz band showed propagation loss nearly identical to 3.9 GHz, with a median difference of less than 1 dB — significantly better than the 6 dB gap predicted by theoretical models. SoftBank attributes this to signal reflections from surrounding buildings. In non-line-of-sight areas, the gap was larger at approximately 10 dB, consistent with standard propagation models. The median SINR of 5.9 dB across all areas confirmed stable connectivity throughout the coverage zone.
Why this matters: The upper 6 GHz and 7 GHz bands are expected to be the primary new spectrum for 6G, but their viability for wide-area macro coverage has been questioned. This trial provides concrete evidence that centimetre-wave spectrum can deliver coverage comparable to existing mid-band 5G in a dense urban commercial district, one of the most demanding deployment environments. The finding that building reflections reduce the gap between 7 GHz and 3.9 GHz performance is particularly significant for urban deployments. This complements a similar trial by Telefónica and Nokia in Spain’s Polytechnic University of Valencia campus, adding Asian urban data to the growing global evidence base.
Implications for 6G standards: The results support the centimetre-wave frequency range that 3GPP is expected to standardise under the FR3 designation for 6G. SoftBank’s own 3GPP 6G Workshop submission emphasised smooth migration from existing 4G/5G assets, and validating the 7 GHz band in real-world conditions strengthens the case for early standardisation of this spectrum range. The trial data will also inform Japan’s position at WRC-27.
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Emnify advances 6G architecture through EU ORIGAMI project
Emnify, a cloud-native IoT connectivity provider, outlined its role in ORIGAMI (Optimized Resource Integration and Global Architecture for Mobile Infrastructure for 6G), an EU-funded research project developing architectural foundations for next-generation mobile networks. The consortium includes Telefónica Research, NEC Laboratories Europe and the University of Würzburg, funded by the European Commission under the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU). The announcement was distributed via Business Wire. Martin Giess, Co-founder and founding CTO at emnify, said:
“By contributing real-world IoT operator use cases to ORIGAMI, we’re ensuring that 6G architectures evolve to better support global providers like us.”
What’s new: The ORIGAMI project is developing three key architectural components: a Global Service-Based Architecture (GSBA), a Zero-Trust Exposure Layer (ZTL) and a Compute Continuum Layer (CCL). emnify serves as the use-case provider for global operator scenarios, leveraging its experience in cloud-native IoT connectivity. At its recent mid-term review in Würzburg, emnify showcased an observability platform for globally distributed latency and availability monitoring of roaming partners.
Why this matters: ORIGAMI is one of several EU-funded SNS JU projects building the architectural blueprint for 6G. Its focus on global interoperability, zero-trust security and distributed compute across heterogeneous infrastructure addresses practical challenges that current 5G systems handle inadequately. The project’s submission to the 3GPP 6G Workshop proposed service-based architecture for the RAN domain and a compute continuum layer, ideas that align with the broader industry direction toward disaggregated, cloud-native 6G networks. The IoT angle is relevant because global IoT connectivity involves complex roaming and multi-operator relationships that stress current architectural assumptions.
Implications for 6G standards: The ORIGAMI consortium has already submitted its architectural concepts to the 3GPP 6G Workshop. The GSBA approach to eliminating silo-style interactions between network domains, and the CCL for managing heterogeneous computing resources, could influence how 3GPP defines the service-based architecture evolution from 5G Core to 6G.