“6G networks must be built for commercialization at scale” says new TM Forum and global telco leaders report
- TM Forum collaboration identifies the opportunities shaping the 6G future
- 6G must do more than enhance connectivity – it must be designed from the outset to deliver monetization at scale
- TM Forum plays a critical role in bridging technical capabilities and commercial value in an AI-native era
As the global industry accelerates towards 6G, TM Forum and a collaboration of global telco leaders - Jio Platforms, Singtel Group, SoftBank Corp. and T-Mobile USA – today launched a new industry whitepaper with a clear message: monetization must be a core design principle for 6G, not an afterthought.
The paper, “Shaping a Monetization‑Driven 6G Vision,” challenges the sector to avoid the pitfalls of the 5G era – including fragmented architectures, operational complexity and slow automation. 6G must not only enhance connectivity, but also deliver reusable platforms, high-level programmability, and AI-native operations across RAN, Core, OSS/BSS, and APIs.
Crucially, this whitepaper highlights that monetization in 6G spans the entire service lifecycle – from creation, ordering, and fulfilment, to assurance and billing – and must be designed end-to-end to be operationally manageable and economically viable at scale.
“6G is more than the next generation of wireless, it is a defining inflection point for our industry. This is our opportunity to architect networks with intelligence at their core: programmable by design, AI-native from inception, and engineered to unlock scalable, real-world value from day one. By aligning early around monetization models, operational simplicity, and deep ecosystem collaboration, we can ensure 6G is not merely an evolution of connectivity, but a transformative platform for cross-industry innovation and sustainable, long-term growth,” said Ankur Kapoor, EVP & Chief Network Officer at T-Mobile USA.
In this context, TM Forum is a critical bridge between technical capabilities and commercial value, helping the industry translate emerging 6G capabilities into flexible, scalable services that can be orchestrated, assured, and monetized in real-world operational environments.
Reflecting on lessons learned from 5G, the whitepaper reframes 6G as more than a faster or smarter network. Instead, it positions 6G as a programmable platform for on‑demand, outcome‑based services spanning connectivity, sensing, AI and compute, capable of evolving as real‑world use cases emerge.
The report defines three practical monetization models that Communication Services Providers (CSPs) can realistically execute for commercial 6G success:
- Differentiated experiences that go beyond static data plans, delivering premium, SLA‑backed connectivity for consumers, enterprises and IoT.
- On‑demand, moment‑based services, where connectivity, performance and pricing adapt in real-time to context and need.
- Enablement beyond connectivity, exposing network intelligence — sensing, AI and compute — as platforms that developers and enterprises can actually buy.
Together, these models signal a decisive shift away from “selling bits” to commercializing outcomes, experiences and platforms.
“As the industry looks beyond connectivity toward 6G, success will be defined by how effectively networks can be programmed, assured, and monetized. Through our collaboration with TM Forum and industry partners, we are shaping AI-native platforms that translate advanced network capabilities into tangible value from day one,” said Mr. Aayush Bhatnagar, Chief Technology Development Officer at Jio Platforms Ltd.
“5G and 6G are part of a continuous journey, not separate cycles. As we enter the 6G era, we must design networks that deliver not only advanced capabilities, but also tangible economic benefits. Together, as an industry, we can make 6G a platform for sustainable value creation,” said Tomohiro Sekiwa, Senior Vice President & CNO at SoftBank Corp.
“Singtel has led the way in 5G innovation and demonstrated that technology leadership must go hand-in-hand with commercial discipline and operational readiness. As we shape the 6G era, the industry has an opportunity to embed monetization, programmability and AI-native design from the outset. By sharing lessons and collaborating across the ecosystem through this paper, we can collectively build a 6G future that delivers sustainable value for customers, enterprises and the broader digital economy,” said Lim Yu Leong; VP, Strategy, Engineering and Innovations at Singtel Group.
TM Forum invites operators, vendors, hyperscalers and ecosystem partners to join the collaboration and help shape a 6G future that translates innovation into deployable, scalable and commercially viable services.
“6G is not a science project, it is a business platform. If monetization is not considered from the outset, the industry risks repeating the same value leakage challenges seen with 5G. This report is a call for the ecosystem to work together to ensure 6G delivers sustainable commercial outcomes, and TM Forum has a critical role to play in connecting technology to real‑world monetization in the AI‑native era,” said George Glass, CTO at TM Forum.
Unlocking growth in the 6G era
This technical whitepaper is complemented by a TM Forum commercial perspective, “Unlocking Growth in the 6G era,” which sets out the business transformation opportunity. This paper argues that success in the 6G decade will depend less on radio breakthroughs and more on whether operators can transform their operating models to deliver tailored capabilities and experiences that customers understand, value and will pay for.
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About the report
Shaping a Monetization-Driven 6G Vision and the Role of TM Forum was developed to reflect shared perspectives from leading global operators – Jio Platforms, Singtel Group, Softbank Corp., and T-Mobile USA – and TM Forum experts.
This whitepaper frames a 6G vision for communications service providers (CSPs), drawing on lessons from 5G while anticipating the new capabilities expected over the next decade.
About TM Forum
TM Forum is an alliance of over 800 organizations spanning the global connectivity ecosystem, including the world’s top ten Communication Service Providers (CSPs), top three hyperscalers and Network Equipment Providers (NEPs), vendors, consultancies and system integrators, large and small.
We provide a place for our Members to collaborate, innovate, and deliver lasting change. Together, we are building a sustainable future for the industry in connectivity and beyond.
To find out more, visit: www.tmforum.org
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Katy Branson
Head of Communications
TM Forum