Nokia and Ericsson Join Forces for European 6G: Joint R&D to Counter Chinese Dominance

In an unprecedented move, Europe's two telecom giants — Nokia and Ericsson — are putting aside decades of rivalry to jointly develop 6G technology. The new joint venture, called the European 6G Alliance, aims to ensure Europe doesn't get left behind in the next generation of wireless technology.

This is a defensive move. Huawei and ZTE together hold over 40% of global 5G infrastructure, and China is aggressively investing in 6G research. European operators have been warning for years that Europe is losing the telecom infrastructure race.

"For too long, Europe's telecom champions have competed against each other while losing ground to Chinese competitors. The 6G Alliance is Europe's wake-up call — we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of 5G."

— European Commissioner for Digital Economy

The alliance will focus on three core 6G technologies: terahertz communication (100GHz-3THz bands), AI-native network architecture, and integrated satellite-terrestrial coverage. The goal is to file 5,000+ European 6G patents by 2030.