6G LAB

Mobile generations arrive roughly every ten years, and the rhythm is not driven by physics. It is driven by three cycles that happen to line up.

Spectrum is the first. New bands are identified at ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences, which meet every three to four years, and a band needs one conference to get on the agenda and another to be decided. Silicon is the second: a new air interface needs a chipset generation, which takes years to design and amortise. Business is the third — vendors and operators need a reason to refresh a capital base that lasts about a decade.

So a generation is as much a spectrum and investment reset as a technology leap. Understanding that keeps expectations honest.