Apple and other prominent technology and networking companies have joined an industry group that’s working to advance cellular technology in North America to 6G and beyond.
The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) on Thursday announced the addition of 11 Founding Members, including Apple, Charter, google, VMWare, HP, and Cisco, among others.
“Designed to set the foundation for a vibrant marketplace for North American innovation in future generations of mobile technology, the Next G Alliance is named after its primary goal: to establish North American preeminence in the 5G evolutionary path and 6G development,” ATIS said in a statement.
According to the group, its work “will encompass the full lifecycle of research and development, manufacturing, standardization and market readiness.”
The new group added that it would be holding its first meeting on Monday, Nov. 16. In that meeting, members will set the group’s overall direction and strategy.
Apple, for its part, has only just released its first batch of 5G-compatible iPhone models in October. All models of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro lineup support mmWave 5G in the U.S., and sub-6GHz 5G elsewhere.
In September, AT&T CEO Jeff McElfresh revealed that the carrier is already working on 6G technology, though it’s likely that the new generation of wireless connectivity won’t be available for years to come.