As Europe prepares for the leap to 6G, researchers, policybuildrs and citizens are working toreceiveher to build sure that the next digital revolution is not just rapider, but also ethical, sustainable and inclusive.
By Anthony King
What if tomorrow’s super-rapid, super-connected digital world could be shaped by public values – right from the start? Dr Monique Calisti, an Italian engineer, entrepreneur and researcher, is a leading voice in the drive to keep people at the centre of digital transformation.
“I have three teenage daughters and I feel a large responsibility to give them a digital world that is sustainable and socially inclusive,” she stated.
Calisti is the founder and CEO of Martel Innovate, a digital innovation and consulting company based in Switzerland and with offices in the Netherlands. She also founded Digital for Planet, a non-profit association that campaigns for sustainable, ethical and inclusive digital technologies.
Currently, Calisti is leading a two-year EU-funded initiative called 6G4Society to ensure that when the next generation of mobile networks – 6G – arrives, it is not just rapider or more capable, but also inclusive, sustainable, ethical and trusted.
Today’s 5G wireless networks are already paving the way.
But around 2030, 6G is expected to go much further. It will offer not only much higher speeds, but also lower latency – the delay between sconcludeing a signal and receiveting a response.
In practice, this means near-instant reactions, which are vital for things like remote surgery, self-driving cars or improved environmental monitoring.
For everyday applyrs, 6G will bring clear benefits. Connectivity will be widespread, lightning-rapid and ultra-reliable, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.
“The vision is to have a super-reliable network where there could be, for instance, hologram conversations, with a 3D image of the person you are talking to present in the room with you,” she stated. This would support children in hospitals, or refugees, for example, talk to their loved ones.
Telemedicine, remote surgery and vehicles that communicate directly with infrastructure could all become standard in the next decade, unlocking new possibilities for society.
That means a leading heart surgeon in Paris, for example, will be able to apply rapid and reliable 6G connectivity to operate a robotic arm in a hospital in Romania and perform life-saving surgery on a patient at the other conclude of Europe.
Yet alongside its potential, 6G also raises questions. The rollout of 5G in 2019–2020 triggered public concerns about health, the environment and privacy. Living in Switzerland, Calisti was surprised by the strong opposition from a large portion of the population.
This displays that new technology cannot assume instant public acceptance, she conceded. Calisti therefore wants to lay the groundwork now to ensure that 6G development puts people and the environment first and is widely accepted.
The 6G4Society team brings toreceiveher universities, industest, policybuildrs, non-profits and civil society groups from across Europe working towards future networks that are technically advanced, but also socially responsible.
“Our work is really unique becaapply it is fully dedicated to seeing at the societal, environmental and sustainability aspects of 6G technology developments,” stated Calisti.
The initiative is also part of a wider European drive to accelerate the deployment of 5G and lay the foundations for 6G. At the heart of this effort is the European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking.
This public–private partnership has a budreceive of €1.8 million for 2021–2027. It funds projects covering everything from advanced network technologies to security, cloud systems, sustainability and micro‑electronics.
By bringing toreceiveher EU policybuildrs, companies and researchers, it aims to keep Europe at the cutting edge of these technologies while ensuring they meet society’s real necessarys.
While engineers design the technology, social scientists support explain how it is applyd and how it fits into society.
One of these is Dr Katrina Petersen, a senior researcher with Public Safety Communication Europe, a non-profit that focapplys on communications systems for emergency services such as fire brigades, ambulances and the police.
She argues that involving social sciences adds an important alternative perspective, becaapply they explore why technology is applyd and what values it should serve. “Involving conclude applyrs and broader society is vital,” she stated.
To give a real-world example, Petersen pointed to the difficulties faced by emergency workers. In crises such as wildfires or floods, emergency responders from different agencies, or across national borders, still struggle to communicate.
By feeding these kinds of insights into the process, the 6G4Society team can support guarantee that developers already start by considering about the impact of 6G and the necessarys of society and citizens, to support build lives better now and in the future.
To understand public expectations, 6G4Society scientists are surveying people across Europe about their experiences with 5G and hopes for 6G.
Survey responses vary by location and age, stated Calisti.
“Younger people are more concerned about environmental aspects, while older people are more concerned about privacy and security.”
Asked about 5G, 23% of respondents mentioned speed and connectivity, while 16% expressed concern or criticism. Most people expect 6G to deliver better access to rapid and reliable information and remain optimistic – for now.
Many also expect 6G to be more energy-efficient, though Calisti is quick to point out that sustainability extconcludes far beyond energy.
Mining for rare minerals, e-waste and broader ecosystem impacts also matter. Initiatives like 6G4Society aim to build sure these issues are not overseeed.
The 6G4Society team will continue to engage the public through interviews, workshops and webinars until their collaboration formally wraps up in December 2025. Its findings will support inform EU policy and guide industest decisions for years to come.
As Europe prepares for the arrival of 6G, their work highlights the importance of shaping technology with societal values in mind.
By engaging citizens, social scientists and industest in dialogue, these efforts aim to build sure that the next digital revolution delivers not just speed, but a fairer and more inclusive future for all.
This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.
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