6G seen as backbone for AI economy

BCG says spectrum will shape returns.

Sixth-generation wireless networks will be critical to sustaining the next wave of artificial intelligence and immersive computing as current mobile systems struggle with rising uplink demand, latency pressure, and wider coverage needs, according to a Boston Consulting Group report.

BCG said AI applications are shifting network demand away from the download-heavy pattern that defined the smartphone era, with common generative AI use cases already moving traffic closer to a 74% downlink and 26% uplink split from the traditional 90% to 10% ratio.

It said projected annual uplink demand growth of 20% to 35% could leave networks congested and users facing inconsistent performance before the end of the decade.

The consultancy said the commercial case for stronger networks is already clear from 5G’s impact, which it said has generated more than $1t in global economic value and could reach about $6.1t by 2030 and $18.2t by 2035.

But it said most of that value would still come from 5G during the early years of 6G rollout, underscoring that operators and policymakers must build the next generation around monetisation, performance and spectrum access rather than speed alone.

BCG said 6G, expected to launch commercially in late 2029 or early 2030, is being designed to address five core bottlenecks: uplink capacity, latency and jitter, coverage and density, security, and native intelligence.

It said those gains would support industrial automation, public safety, smart cities, e-health and immersive services that require reliable real-time connections across devices, edge systems and cloud platforms.

The report said spectrum policy would be decisive because delays in allocating wider licensed bands would slow infrastructure planning, reduce a region’s appeal for early deployment and hinder economic growth.

It added that countries that align spectrum, standards, research and talent development most effectively will be better placed to shape future AI systems and capture more of the value created by next-generation connectivity.