Financier №4 (40) 2025

In 2025, the global race for leadership in 6G network deployment began. The new standard is expected to replace 5G and become the next step in the development of global wireless communications. We explore how this shift will affect telecom operators and big tech.

Who’s Faster?

4G technology gave us high-speed mobile internet and spurred the rise of social media. 5G capabilities enabled the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). 6G is expected to enable immersive virtual reality, improve autonomous vehicles, and allow the remote control of complex industrial systems. While today’s most widespread 4G networks transmit data at around 10 Mbps, with the advent of 6G this figure is expected to reach up to 100 Gbps, with signal latency of less than one millisecond.

Trial deployments of sixth-generation networks have already begun. US telecom operator Verizon (VZ) has been testing 6G in Dallas, Texas, since March 2025 to assess its performance under real-world conditions. In Japan, national telecom giant NTT Data Group Corporation (NTTDF) is implementing a project to deploy the new standard on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka. Companies expect mass deployment of 6G around 2030. The global market for this type of communication is projected to grow from $8 billion in 2025 to $50–60 billion by 2034. In North America, in particular, it is expected to expand from $1.8 billion to more than $16 billion.

In Anticipation of New Technologies

Major technology corporations are increasingly funding telecom infrastructure and related research. While a decade ago 5G was primarily a battleground for operators and equipment manufacturers, the advent of 6G is changing the rules of the game. Today, leading IT corporations—NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Meta (META)—are driving much of the research investment required to implement 6G. For these companies, this is not merely an infrastructure project but a strategic priority. The objective is to secure control over the future data architecture needed for artificial intelligence, metaverses, and cloud ecosystems.

In 2024, NVIDIA launched the 6G Research Cloud platform, which enables researchers and corporations to simulate next-generation networks—from a single cell to coverage across an entire metropolitan area. Today, major mobile device manufacturers and telecom operators use NVIDIA’s tools for their own 6G prototype testing.

Apple is investing in the development of modems for advanced communications technologies and is a member of the Next G Alliance, a US-based consortium focused on future standards. According to Bloomberg, the company is already funding several research projects aimed at developing a 6G architecture for AR and VR devices and spatial networks, where latency must not exceed one millisecond.

Alphabet and Microsoft, preparing to adapt the 6G standard to their own platforms, are focusing on algorithms that enable the instant transfer of workloads between data centers, base stations, and end-user devices. These systems will form the foundation for managing smart factories and autonomous transport networks, where decisions must be made in real time.

According to estimates from Dell’Oro Group and Ericsson Research, in 2025 the combined investment by big tech companies in 6G-related research exceeded $4.5 billion and could reach $12–15 billion by 2027. By comparison, traditional telecom operators—such as Verizon, AT&T (T), and Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY)—are currently spending roughly half as much on similar research initiatives.

For investors, the emergence of 6G communications represents a new growth opportunity. The development of this standard could support further capitalization gains for big tech companies and increase profitability for mobile operators. Starting in 2026, some patents related to sixth-generation mobile networks and associated technologies are expected to begin generating licensing revenue.