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ITU’s IMT-2030 Vision: Navigating Towards 6G in the Americas

The strategic vision for developing 6G mobile telecommunications systems is outlined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) IMT-2030 Framework, which sets the foundation for innovation, performance standards, and global cooperation. 

The ITU IMT-2030 vision framework emphasizes enhanced capabilities and new usage scenarios that extend the boundaries of current 5G technologies, providing a blueprint for the future of global mobile communication. These advancements aim to expand connectivity, integrate artificial intelligence (AI), and support emerging technologies such as integrated sensing and communications (ICAS), among other technologies.

The white paper covers the following key highlights:

  • Enhanced Performance: significant improvements in data rates, latency, and reliability, focusing on delivering high-speed, ultra-reliable low-latency communications for industries and consumers alike
  • New Usage Scenarios: advanced use cases, including immersive multimedia, smart industrial applications, digital twin, ubiquitous connectivity, and the integration of AI to create intelligent, self-learning systems
  • Global Harmonization: emphasis on alignment of global standards, spectrum policies, and regulatory frameworks to ensure interoperability and a unified approach to 6G development
  • Strategic 6G Initiatives: US and other American governments have initiated several research and policy activities to drive 6G innovation
  • Sustainability and Security: promotion of energy-efficient technologies and robust security measures to safeguard data integrity, privacy, and national security

“The IMT-2030 framework represents a collaborative effort between industry, government, and academia to shape the future of mobile communications,” said Karri Kuoppamaki, Senior Vice President, Advanced and Emerging Technologies, T-Mobile. “As the industry moves toward 6G, the focus will be on driving innovations that unlock new economic opportunities, enhance connectivity, security, and sustainability while maintaining global leadership in technology development.”

“The IMT-2030 vision is a critical step toward enabling a future 6G ecosystem, setting a roadmap for the evolution of mobile systems beyond 5G. Stakeholders from the Americas are encouraged to engage in the development of favorable technical details, particularly in the areas of spectrum utilization, AI integration, and next-generation air-interface technologies” said, Brian Daly, AT&T Fellow and AVP of Standards & Industry Alliances and working group leader on the white paper.

As the industry takes the first steps in the journey to 6G, the ITU IMT-2030 framework provides a crucial roadmap for global collaboration and innovation. It’s not just about faster networks—it’s about transforming how industries and societies connect, operate, and grow in the digital age.

Ali Khayrallah, Senior Technical Advisor, Ericsson

Executive Summary

The definition of new generation or “G” for mobile systems is a long and complex process which is centered around the ITU-R’s creation of new IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) radio-interface standards. For the next generation, ITU-R has started work on IMT-2030 (as these systems are expected to be deployed around the year 2030) which will be commonly referred to as “6G.”

The ITU recently published an initial Framework, or vision for IMT-2030 as one of the early steps in the IMT definition process. This is only a high-level framework where many details remain to be determined: minimum levels of performance, mandatory and optional features, and which specific technologies are to be incorporated into next-generation systems. ITU-R’s IMT specifications help define a set of criteria against which detailed technical radio-interface proposals (created elsewhere in places such as 3GPP) will be judged as IMT-2030 qualifying. Qualifying proposals will eventually become the standards for 6G.

Thus, it is important right now for regions such as the Americas to understand the IMT-2030 framework in order to promote and support the development of the most favorable technical details for subsequent work in ITU, 3GPP and other organizations.

This paper explains how the ITU framework consists of a combination of some 5G attributes that have been enhanced or extended, and some new attributes which are not present in 5G. First, the Americas must carefully decide the proper level of enhancement/performance of attributes originating in 5G. Not for the sake of progress but driven by use cases and business opportunities relevant in the Americas. Second, the Americas must focus on attributes new to 6G that expand mobile systems use cases in beneficial ways and then promote the corresponding key technologies. This will help the Americas maintain and extend its current global technology leadership.

Ultimately, it is important for the Americas to collaborate effectively with global partners to harmonize not only standards and technologies, but also corresponding spectrum policies and regulatory requirements in order to maximize the success of the IMT-2030 ecosystem. There are already a host of U.S. government initiatives in this space that the Americas should stand behind.

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