As the digital landscape evolves with the advent of 6G, the UK is at a strategic crossroads: Should we follow the siren call of new technology for its own sake, or should we focus on consolidating our digital infrastructure for lasting innovation? The forthcoming 6G revolution offers more than a mere increase in connectivity speed; it heralds a new age where technology is deeply integrated into our societal fabric and economic framework.
The UK must take the helm in bolstering the essential underpinnings of our digital realm. It is critical to not simply acknowledge, but to actively catalyse investment in fundamental areas: enhancing telecom towers to meet rising data demands, evolving data centres into robust hubs of computation, extending fibre networks for steadfast connectivity, deploying satellites to achieve universal access, and empowering the ICT industry to support the growth of digital economy. Elevating these sectors to a place of strategic prominence is vital for the UK to secure a leadership position in the imminent 6G era, thereby enabling an infrastructure that can ignite ground breaking innovation, economic enrichment, and societal benefit.
