The United States and the United Kingdom have announced (opens in new tab) their intentions to establish a formal science collaboration agreement – a document that will include provisions for strategic collaboration on the development and deployment of 6G technology.
Over the next year, both countries intend to issue a joint statement of intent outlining their intentions with regard to developing “proposals on future tech such as 6G” and deepening cooperation in “digital technical standards.”
This partnership will be part of the revised Atlantic Charter deal signed by U.S. President Joe Biden with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The original version was signed in 1941, outlining a vision for post-World War II Britain that Churchill himself signed.
Beyond 6G
Beyond 6G, the updated chart will highlight collaborations to increase supply chain resilience; promote emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology; and facilitate data access and flow for scientific advancement, public security initiatives, and economic expansion.
Oliver Dowden, U.K. Digital Secretary, stated that the revised charter ushers in a new era of collaboration with “our closest ally,” where they pledge to utilize technology for creating wealth and guaranteeing citizens’ safety in years ahead.
Days earlier, Japan and Finland inked a collaboration agreement regarding 6G technology. The University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship and Japan’s Beyond 5G Promotion consortium have joined forces to “significantly contribute” towards global standardization and regulatory developments related to 6G technology.
The United States and Japan have committed a combined $4.5 million towards research, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of secure networks as well as advanced ICT such as 5G and next-generation mobile networks. To facilitate this initiative, the U.S. National Science Foundation called upon nine major telecom and tech companies to help it create a public-private partnership program.
In June 2021, the U.S. and South Korea announced their intent to collaborate on research and development of “critical and emergent technologies.” They shared a desire to create 6G and 5G networks that are transparent, open, and efficient using Open-RAN technology.
