Getting ready for 6G networks
As 5G-Advanced continues to roll out, bringing AI/ML integration, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), RedCap, and non-terrestrial network capabilities, support for 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 19 (R19) is emerging, setting the stage for initial 6G deployment and testing. Qualcomm Technologies, for example, is already incorporating AI/ML into RF modems to control real-time signal conditions, dynamic impedance matching, and predictive power scaling. Its latest X105 5G Modem-RF platform is 3GPP R19-ready.
Many of the technologies under consideration for 6G are already emerging in 5G-Advanced, giving vendors and operators an opportunity to trial capabilities such as AI-driven network optimization and ISAC before committing to broader 6G rollouts, according to ABI Research.
5G-Advanced rollouts are creating a practical runway toward early 6G deployment and testing. The September/October 2026 digital issue looks at how the industry is progressively validating the technologies needed for initial 6G interoperability and performance.
ABI Research provides an update on the transition from 5G to 6G. Research analyst Michael Moreno reports that 6G will embed AI deeper in the radio access network and core to manage radio resources, optimize performance, and deliver a more intelligent network. While AI already exists in 5G networks, 6G is designed to integrate AI capabilities more deeply into the network architecture, he said.
Although 6G is still being defined through the 3GPP standards process, Moreno said it is clear that AI, distributed computing, and sensing are becoming as integral as new frequencies, lower latency, and data rates.
5G, 5G-Advanced, and 6G networks all raise test challenges, particularly around uplink efficiency and modulation performance. This is why engineers are revisiting where power amplifier (PA) linearization should happen and how it should be validated, according to Andreas Oelemann, program manager of AI for wireless at Rohde & Schwarz: “PA linearity remains one of the hardest tradeoffs when designing wireless communication systems.”
Oeldemann reports that digital post-distortion (DPoD) is gaining some attention because, unlike conventional digital pre-distortion, DPoD shifts part of the compensation burden to the receiver. He discusses a hardware-in-the-loop testbed built around standard-compliant 5G signal generation and wideband signal analysis.
Two critical areas for wireless design are RF and timing devices. Contributing writer Stefano Lovati reports that sub-6-GHz and mmWave signal chains, higher front-end module integration, and gallium nitride PAs are shaping some of key design decisions on the road from 5G to 6G.
He also finds that RF digital front ends are integrating functions that were previously handled by analog parts. In addition, front-end architectures are beginning to include Frequency Range 3, AI, and early 6G interoperability as 5G-Advanced is rolled out.
The underlying timing infrastructure that keeps 5G networks synchronized has become a strategic technology domain, Benjamin Bunyatipanon, digital marketing specialist for Microchip Technology’s frequency and time system business unit, said. He explores why cesium clocks matter and how they fit into 5G timing architectures, with new challenges in synchronization, global navigation satellite system dependence, and critical-infrastructure reliability.
Also in this issue, we cover top 10 5G chips and modules introduced over the past year, targeting a range of applications, including smartphones, wearables, industrial IoT, and connected vehicles. Don’t miss the wireless chip roundup. These devices feature high integration, low power consumption, and advanced security features, driven in part by the need for multiprotocol functionality and edge AI applications.
Cover image: Adobe Stock
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