With 5G expansion continuing, it might be shocking to hear that the first deployments of 6G are just three years away, according to new data from Juniper Research.
The first 6G connections are slated to arrive in 2029 with connections reaching 4.1 million by the end of that year. The U.S. and South Korea are the countries most likely to lead early 6G commercialization in late 2029 with 6G network launches expanding in 2030.
However, by 2030 things change and Juniper’s research found that nine countries will launch 6G commercially ranked by the number of 6G connections forecasted by that year:
- China
- U.S.
- Canada
- Japan
- U.K.
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- France
- Qatar
However, other countries like Germany, India and the UAE are also expected to play key roles in early development and deployment, Juniper said.
Juniper said that because mobile data traffic growth is decelerating and gains in consumer average revenue per users (ARPU) is limited relative to traffic growth, 6G investment must go beyond traditional connectivity services.
This means becoming an enabler of services like voice AI to unlock new revenue streams.
Learn more in Juniper Research’s report, entitled 6G Market 2026-2035.
