Reality check. There are no normative 6G specifications yet. As of mid-2026 3GPP 6G is in the study phase; the first 6G specifications are expected in Release 21 (~2029). Every fact below is classified requirement / candidate / foundation and carries a source. Nothing here is a 6G 'spec value'.
15
items tracked
2
approved / complete
13
in study / draft
9
topic domains
Release timeline
Dates prefixed with ~ are expectations reported by 3GPP or reputable secondary sources, not committed freeze dates.
Release 20 in_progress
Dual-track release: continues 5G-Advanced (Rel-20_5GA) while opening the first 6G study track (Rel-20_6G). 6G work in Rel-20 is study-only — scenarios, requirements and technology investigation — not normative specification.
5G-Advanced (Rel-20_5GA) Early 6G study (Rel-20_6G)
2026-03TR 22.870 (Stage-1 6G use cases) approved at TSG SA#111, Fukuoka ↗
~2026-06TR 38.914 (6G scenarios & requirements) targeted for RAN approval ↗
3gpp.org 2026-06-15
Release 21 planned
Expected to carry the first normative 6G specifications. The Rel-21 timeline is expected to be finalized around mid-2026; an ASN.1/OpenAPI freeze is projected around 2029, with commercial 6G generally expected ~2030. All dates are expectations, not committed 3GPP freeze dates.
6G normative (first 6G specifications)
~2026-06Rel-21 timeline expected to be finalized ↗
~2029-03Projected ASN.1/OpenAPI freeze (first 6G specs) ↗
3gpp.org 2026-06-15
Activity by working group
Count of tracked study items, reports and agreements touching each 3GPP / ITU-R group. A rough heat-map of where 6G work is concentrated, not a progress percentage.
RAN16 items
RAN4 items
SA13 items
ITU-R WP 5D2 items
ITU-R2 items
SA22 items
RAN41 item
SA31 item
What changed recently
2026-06-15
statusTR 38.914 (6G scenarios & requirements) recorded at ~60% complete (March 2026), approval targeted ~June 2026. source ↗
2026-06-15
statusTR 22.870 (Stage-1 6G use cases) recorded as approved at TSG SA#111 (Fukuoka, March 2026). source ↗
2026-06-15
initInitial 6G tracker baseline established from verified primary (3GPP, ITU-R) and labelled secondary sources. source ↗
Full machine-readable history: data/6g-tracker.json · feed.xml
All tracked items
Every study item, technical report and agreement on the radar, with its classification, owning groups, status and source.
TR 22.870 requirement
Study on 6G Use Cases and Service Requirements (Stage 1)
Stage-1 study (~590 pages). Broad and exploratory: immersive communication, hyper-reliable low-latency, more massive IoT, ubiquitous connectivity, AI/ML services, and ISAC. Acts as the Stage-1 anchor for Rel-21 normative work.
3gpp.org 2026-03-13
Approved — TSG SA#111 (Fukuoka, Mar 2026)
TR 38.914 requirement
Study on 6G Scenarios and Requirements
High-level scenarios and requirements for 6G Radio; guides 3GPP RAN working groups and is an initial input to ITU-R IMT-2030. Covers deployment scenarios (dense urban, industrial, high mobility, NTN), KPIs, spectrum, device types and 5G-to-6G migration.
3gpp.org 2026-03-01
~60% complete (Mar 2026); approval targeted ~Jun 2026
ITU-R M.2160-0 requirement
Framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2030 and beyond (IMT-2030)
Defines six usage scenarios and 15 capabilities (≈9 with example numeric targets). Numbers in M.2160 are framework example targets, not minimum requirements.
itu.int 2023-11
Approved (2023) — the 'IMT-2030 Framework'
IMT-2030 minimum technical performance requirements (draft) requirement
IMT-2030 Minimum Technical Performance Requirements & Evaluation Methodology
The binding minimum performance numbers for 6G evaluation. Draft values remain restricted to ITU-R members until approval, so no minimum-requirement numbers are published here.
itu.int 2026-03
Draft adopted by WP 5D (Feb 2026); SG5 approval scheduled ~Dec 2026
no % published
RP-251881 candidate
Study on 6G Radio (6GR)
Investigates the 6G radio physical layer: waveform, frame structure, numerology for wider bandwidths, channel coding direction, and initial access. Plenary doc ID per secondary catalog; treat as indicative until confirmed on the 3GPP portal.
wirelessbrew.com 2026-03 secondary
Study Item underway in RAN
no % published
RAN1 working assumption candidate
6G baseline waveform: CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM
RAN1 has agreed to use CP-OFDM and DFT-s-OFDM as the baseline/benchmark waveform for 6G, while leaving the door open to enhancements. This is a study-phase working assumption, not a frozen specification. Reported via secondary sources.
the-mobile-network.com 2025-08 secondary
RAN1 working assumption (study phase)
no % published
FR3 / upper mid-band candidate
Upper mid-band (FR3, 7.125–24.25 GHz) and cmWave (7–15 GHz)
The 7–15 GHz cmWave range within FR3 is widely seen as the leading candidate for initial 6G coverage-plus-capacity deployments, complementing FR1 (coverage) and FR2 (bandwidth).
nokia.com 2026-01 secondary
Leading initial-6G band under study
no % published
WRC-27 AI 1.2 / Res. 256 requirement
WRC-27 IMT/6G spectrum studies
WRC-23 (Resolution 256) set WRC-27 agenda item 1.2 to study new IMT bands including ranges around 4.4–4.8 GHz, 7.125–8.4 GHz and 14.8–15.35 GHz, with regional candidates such as 6.425–7.125 GHz and 10–10.5 GHz.
ericsson.com 2026-01 secondary
Under study for WRC-27
no % published
Sub-THz (100–300 GHz) candidate
Sub-THz spectrum (100–300 GHz)
Sub-THz bands offer very large bandwidth but severe propagation limits; widely framed as a later-phase 6G target (closer to 2035+) rather than initial 2030 deployment.
arxiv.org 2024-06 secondary
Later-phase 6G candidate
no % published
AI/ML for Air Interface (6G) candidate
AI/ML-native air interface (CSI, beam management, two-sided models)
Builds on the Rel-18 study (TR 38.843) and Rel-19 work on AI/ML for the air interface — CSI feedback/compression, beam management, positioning, and two-sided models — toward an AI-native 6G design. The degree of AI-native design in 6G is still under study.
wirelessbrew.com 2026-03 secondary
Study direction carried from Rel-18/19 AI/ML
no % published
ISAC (6G) candidate
Integrated Sensing and Communication
ISAC is one of the six IMT-2030 usage scenarios (requirement) and appears in TR 22.870. The RAN realization — waveform reuse, monostatic/bistatic modes, architecture — is a candidate still under study.
arxiv.org 2025-08 secondary
Use case agreed (IMT-2030/TR 22.870); RAN design under study
no % published
RIS candidate
Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces
RIS (smart reflecting surfaces to shape propagation) was studied in 3GPP Rel-19 and is a candidate 6G deployment enabler. No normative 6G RIS specification exists.
ericsson.com 2026-01 secondary
Studied in Rel-19; candidate 6G enabler
no % published
TR 23.801 candidate
Study on Architecture for the 6G System
Investigates the 6G system architecture: a service-based, intent-driven core, an AI-native control plane and NTN/terrestrial convergence. Document number per secondary catalog; treat as indicative until confirmed on the 3GPP portal.
wirelessbrew.com 2026-03 secondary
Architecture study underway in SA2
no % published
NTN / Ubiquitous Connectivity requirement
Non-Terrestrial Networks & ubiquitous connectivity
Ubiquitous connectivity is an IMT-2030 usage scenario (requirement) and NTN appears across TR 22.870 and TR 38.914 deployment scenarios. Native terrestrial/NTN convergence in the 6G core and radio is a candidate under study.
3gpp.org 2026-03-01
Usage scenario agreed; 6G integration under study
no % published
6G security / quantum-era candidate
Security, resilience & quantum-era considerations
ITU-R M.2160 lists security and resilience as a (qualitative) capability. Post-quantum cryptography migration and AI-era threat models are active research themes; concrete 6G security specification is future Rel-21+ work.
itu.int 2023-11
Direction-setting; no 6G security specs yet
no % published