The Global Coalition on Telecoms (GCOT) unveiled its principles for securing and strengthening 6G networks during the Mobile World Congress 2026.
Founded in 2023 by Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the US, GCOT recently welcomed Sweden and Finland as new members. The coalition's mission is to ensure that telecommunication networks are secure, resilient, and innovative.
According to the coalition, the newly introduced principles are designed to guide the development of 6G standards. These principles address resilience against cyber and physical attacks, secure supply chains, and network reliability.
"The security and resilience of 6G networks are critical," GCOT emphasizes. "6G networks, both public and private, will become integral to daily life worldwide, with much of our activities relying on their efficient and secure operation."
The coalition expects 6G networks to incorporate security and resilience features that prevent threats, protect user data, maintain data integrity, ensure service availability, and comply with national regulations.
"The 6G system should prioritize security from development through deployment and operation," the coalition advises. "It must be consciously designed to be more secure than previous generations, addressing legacy vulnerabilities when relying on existing systems."
The principles suggest that next-generation networks should implement granular security controls, continuous monitoring, robust authentication, and authorization. They must also secure external networks, subnetworks, and other systems.
Additionally, 6G networks are expected to utilize AI to counter cybersecurity threats and ensure resilience during disruptions. AI systems should be deployed safely, and quantum-safe cryptography should be integrated from the start.
GCOT highlights that 6G networks should be engineered with built-in resilience. They should incorporate safe failovers to maintain connectivity, use alternative non-GNSS PNT systems to minimize disruption risks, and support Open RAN architecture principles.
"The technological advancement expected from 6G, along with its critical role in national infrastructure, demands fundamental protections from the outset," the coalition states. "This requires action from governments, telecommunications providers, and system suppliers, including cloud and data infrastructure."
As of March 2026, 6G is still in the research and pre-standardization phase. Key industry groups are pushing for AI-native designs, with initial commercial rollouts targeted for 2029-2030.
