6G reset revisited: A live discussion

“It’s still a mixed picture.”

Earlier this year, telecom stakeholders recognized a 6G “reset” toward realism. As 2025 draws to a close, is that shift holding or or are old assumptions quietly re-entering the conversation?

In the final Zero-Touch Live episode of the year, Rakuten Symphony CMO Geoff Hollingworth was joined by independent analysts Dean Bubley and William Webb to revisit the state of 6G development and examine what is actually changing as operators, vendors and policymakers look ahead to 2026.

📺 Watch the replay now below.

What the conversation surfaced

The wide-ranging discussion consistently returned to a small set of underlying signals that matter for how 6G is taking shape:

• The “reset” is incomplete. There is more technical work underway inside standards bodies but far less evidence that the industry has fully aligned around a pragmatic, software-led path. Vision-heavy narratives continue to coexist with calls for restraint and realism.
• Regional divergence is no longer theoretical. 6G trajectories are increasingly shaped by local policy, regulation and sovereignty priorities. Europe, China and the U.S. are already signaling different assumptions about spectrum, AI and the role of government, raising real questions about long-term fragmentation.
• Traffic growth assumptions are being challenged. Forecasts were scrutinized, particularly where fixed wireless access skews aggregate numbers and where historical projections have not held up. The absence of credible downside scenarios was a recurring concern.

A consistent theme was that 6G is increasingly being shaped by forces beyond traditional telecom decision-making.

“The cellular industry risks becoming a passenger, not the driver, as broader technology, AI and policy decisions increasingly set the direction.”

Looking toward 2026

The episode closed with grounded expectations rather than bold predictions: continued satellite momentum, deeper sovereignty debates, ongoing spectrum pressure, and a more clear-eyed view of how quickly AI will translate into tangible network change.

👉 Watch the full conversation for the context behind these signals and the analysts’ broader 2026 outlook.

This is our last Zero-Touch Live episode of the year. Happy holidays to all and looking forward to diving back in with this audience at the top of 2026!

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