Ericsson’s CEO Börje Ekholm: 5G monetisation needs fixing before 6G push

6G technology

Ericsson’s global CEO and President, Börje Ekholm, said the company has already committed substantial resources to 6G and is well-positioned to scale those investments globally, including in India. However, he emphasised that the industry must first crack the 5G monetisation puzzle to lay a solid foundation for the next generation of networks.

While the commercial deployment of 6G is expected around 2030 and standardisation efforts are set to begin next year, Ekholm cautioned that the telecom sector is still in the early stages of its 5G journey.

“...it’s important to remember that we’re still early in the 5G journey. There's a lot to be done in terms of rollout, building networks, and—critically—monetising them. If we don’t solve 5G monetisation, 6G will be even more challenging. That’s why we’re focused on building a strong monetisation framework for 5G right now,” Ekholm told Moneycontrol in an exclusive interview.

“We’ve already allocated substantial resources to 6G and are well-positioned to scale those investments.”

READ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ericsson Global CEO bats for stronger Vodafone Idea, sees long term prospects for the Swedish giant in India

Ericsson launched its 6G programme in India in 2023 by establishing a dedicated research team at its Chennai R&D centre. The team is working closely with global peers and premier Indian institutions such as IIT Madras to lead efforts in AI-powered networks, sustainable computing, and integrated sensing technologies.

This India 6G team includes senior research leaders and domain specialists across radio, networks, AI, and cloud. Ericsson is also expanding its R&D footprint in the country across emerging areas like generative AI, network APIs, and next-generation wireless.

Ericsson’s Indian R&D centres—located in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Gurugram—are deeply integrated into the company’s global operations. They work across domains like transport, packet core, OSS/BSS, cloud infrastructure, and advanced AI systems.

India’s ambition to lead in 6G is backed by a nationwide policy push through the "Bharat 6G Vision" and the formation of the Bharat 6G Alliance, a collaboration between government, industry, academia, and research institutions. The alliance has signed multiple agreements with countries, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, and South Korea, to bolster international research cooperation.

At this year’s Mobile World Congress, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reiterated India’s global ambitions, stating the country aims to contribute at least 10% of the patents toward global 6G standardisation.