How NTIA “Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security” might influence 6G/IMT-2030 standards and 3GPP specifications
Introduction:
The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has launched the “Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security,” a multilateral initiative uniting more than 20 like-minded governments to coordinate on a shared vision for open, interoperable, secure, and resilient 6G networks. While politically significant, the effort operates alongside—not in place of—the established technical standards ecosystem led by 3GPP and ITU-R, and its impact will hinge on closing critical supply-chain and participation gaps.
“The Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security reflects an unprecedented level of international coordination on the future of communications technology,” said Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “Today’s action recognizes that 6G will be dramatically different from 5G, and that advancing U.S. and allied leadership requires a dramatically different playbook. By working now with trusted partners, we will ensure that next generation networks reflect our shared security interests, strengthen our competitiveness, and drive innovation. I am proud of the role NTIA has played in building this global partnership, and I look forward to seeing our shared commitments translated into meaningful action.”
NTIA is launching this initiative alongside more than 20 partner governments spanning Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Western Hemisphere. Through the Call to Action, participating governments have pledged to strengthen cooperation on 6G over the next 12 months and beyond in support of security, interoperability, and resilience in next generation networks. The initiative also recognizes that trusted artificial intelligence (AI) will be central to the development and operation of secure and innovative 6G networks for the United States and its global partners.
Initiative scope and strategic alignment:
The Call to Action explicitly advances the objectives of President Trump’s December 2025 Presidential Memorandum on “Winning the 6G Race,” which frames 6G as foundational to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic prosperity. Participating governments commit to strengthening cooperation over the next 12 months and beyond on security, interoperability, and resilience, with an emphasis on trusted AI as central to 6G operations. The document also stresses avoiding duplication with industry-driven standards bodies while exploring constructive interfaces with private-sector stakeholders.
Initial milestones include establishing government points of contact, engaging industry and academia, identifying barriers to leadership, and exploring ways to strengthen secure and resilient supply chains.
Membership composition and notable absences:
The coalition includes the United States and key advanced-economy partners with strong mobile capabilities and intellectual property portfolios—among them Finland, Sweden, Japan, and South Korea—alongside a broader set of allies across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Western Hemisphere. However, several strategically important economies are not signatories, including India, Vietnam, and Taiwan, as well as Thailand, Malaysia, and Mexico.ntia+2
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India and Taiwan participate in various Huawei-free supply initiatives but are not part of this specific Call to Action.
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Vietnam maintains a cautious posture toward China and has pursued domestic 5G equipment development, yet it remains outside the current framework.
These absences matter because 6G security is only as strong as its end-to-end supply chain. A credible security posture requires participation from low- to medium-cost manufacturing hubs aspiring to grow their hardware sectors—an endeavor that demands coordinated reshoring and friend-shoring at scale.
Standards reality check – 3GPP and ITU-R WP5D remain responsible:
This NTIA led alliance is a high-level political and policy forum; it does not set 6G standards or specifications. The NTIA will likely shape U.S. positions and coordinate federal input so that U.S. industry contributions to 3GPP and ITU‑R reflect national security, spectrum, and innovation priorities. In practice, NTIA’s role is policy, spectrum, and interagency coordination, while the detailed 6G standards are produced by 3GPP and then submitted to ITU‑R WP5D for IMT‑2030 approval. Technical standardization will continue to be driven by:
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3GPP Release 21, expected to deliver the first set of 3GPP 6G technical specifications and serve as the basis for IMT-2030 submission before 2030.
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The Release 21 timeline is to be finalized by June 2026, with ASN.1/OpenAPI freeze no earlier than March 2029 (some industry views target end-2028).
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ITU-R WP5D, which is developing the IMT-2030 framework and evaluation guidelines, and has opened a submission window for candidate Radio Interface Technologies (RIT/SRIT) from February 2027 to February 2029.itu+3
IMT-2030 RIT/SRIT submissions are expected to align closely with 3GPP Release 21 outputs. The Call to Action can help smooth policy disagreements and align security priorities, but it cannot override or replace these processes; at worst, it risks adding another layer of complexity or politicization if not carefully scoped.
How NTIA interfaces with 3GPP:
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Policy and requirements feed‑in: NTIA gathers input from industry, academia, and other agencies (e.g., via its 6G Request for Comments and the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee) to inform the U.S. government’s 6G policy and priorities. Those priorities—open, interoperable, secure, and reliable architectures; public‑safety needs; and spectrum alignment—are then reflected in U.S. positions carried into 3GPP by U.S. standards bodies and companies.
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Standards‑body channel via ATIS: In 3GPP, the U.S. Organizational Partner is ATIS. NTIA does not sit inside 3GPP as a member, but it works with ATIS and U.S. stakeholders to ensure that federal requirements (e.g., for public safety, security, and spectrum harmonization) are represented in 3GPP work items and technical reports. For example, the FirstNet Authority (working under a congressional mandate) actively participates in 3GPP to advance public‑safety requirements into 5G‑Advanced and 6G.
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Spectrum and R&D alignment: NTIA’s National Spectrum Strategy and federal R&D programs are designed to make sure that the bands and research directions needed for 6G are available and de‑risked before 3GPP locks in key radio and system designs. This indirectly shapes what is feasible in 3GPP Release 21 (the expected first 6G release).
How NTIA interfaces with ITU‑R WP5D (IMT‑2030):
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U.S. administration role in ITU‑R: NTIA is the U.S. administration for ITU‑R matters. It coordinates U.S. government positions, prepares proposals, and supports U.S. delegations at ITU‑R WP5D meetings, including WP5D’s work on IMT‑2030 (6G) RIT/SRITs.
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Requirements and evaluation framework: ITU‑R WP5D defines the IMT‑2030 framework, minimum performance requirements, and evaluation guidelines for candidate 6G radio technologies (RIT/SRIT). NTIA helps ensure that U.S. views on security, resilience, spectrum, and public‑safety are reflected in these high‑level requirements and evaluation criteria.
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From 3GPP specs to IMT approval: 3GPP develops the actual 6G technical specifications (expected to be completed around 2028–2029 for Release 21) and, through ATIS, submits them to ITU‑R WP5D as the primary IMT‑2030 candidate. WP5D then evaluates the candidates against its requirements and, if they pass, incorporates them into ITU Recommendations. NTIA’s role here is to coordinate the U.S. position on those evaluations and the resulting Recommendations, not to write the 3GPP specs themselves.
In summary NTIA influences 6G standards indirectly—through spectrum policy, federal R&D, interagency coordination, and U.S. positions in ITU‑R—while relying on ATIS and U.S. industry to carry those priorities into 3GPP’s technical work and into ITU‑R’s IMT‑2030 process.
The new NTIA‑led Call to Action is a multilateral policy forum which could:
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Align partner governments on shared security and interoperability principles that then inform national positions in 3GPP and ITU‑R.
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Support supply‑chain and trusted‑AI initiatives that underpin secure 6G deployments, complementing the technical standards produced by 3GPP and approved by ITU‑R.
The initiative’s greatest value lies in creating a trusted, action-oriented forum to:
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Coordinate on security-by-design principles, including open interfaces, interoperability, and resilience requirements that can feed into national procurement and regulatory frameworks.benton+1
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Accelerate trusted AI integration into 6G network operations and management.ntia+1
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Map and mitigate supply-chain vulnerabilities, especially for radio access network (RAN) components, semiconductors, and test/measurement ecosystems.
However, without bringing in pivotal manufacturing and assembly locations—particularly in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America—the alliance risks leaving the most exposed links in the 6G supply chain unaddressed.
From political alignment to measurable impact:
Given the proliferation of 6G alliances, the Call to Action must demonstrate tangible progress to remain relevant. Priority actions include:
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Operationalize working groups within 12 months to produce concrete guidance on secure RAN architectures, AI-enabled operations, and resilience metrics.ntia+1
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Bridge to standards work by channeling consensus positions into 3GPP and ITU-R via national standards bodies and industry coalitions, without duplicating technical workstreams.benton+1
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Expand the circle by engaging non-signatory economies through targeted supply-chain and innovation programs, making participation economically attractive to members.
If executed with discipline, the Call to Action can reduce fragmentation, elevate security baselines, and de-risk the path to commercial 6G. If not, it may become another layer of diplomacy with limited effect on the technical and industrial realities that will define 6G.
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References:
https://www.ntia.gov/press-release/2026/ntia-launches-global-call-action-6g-leadership-and-security
https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/call-to-action-for-6g-leadership-and-security.pdf
https://www.lightreading.com/6g/new-us-6g-alliance-must-show-it-can-make-a-difference
Roles of 3GPP and ITU-R WP 5D in the IMT 2030/6G standards process
IMT-2030 (“6G”) Minimum Technology Performance Requirements for Radio Interface Technologies
ITU-R M.[IMT-2030.EVAL] & ITU-R M.[IMT-2030.SUBMISSION] reports: Evaluation & Submission Guidelines for 6G RIT/SRITs (6G)
ITU-R WP5D IMT 2030 Submission & Evaluation Guidelines vs 6G specs in 3GPP Release 20 & 21
ITU-R WP 5D Timeline for submission, evaluation process & consensus building for IMT-2030 (6G) RITs/SRITs
Comparing AI Native mode in 6G (IMT 2030) vs AI Overlay/Add-On status in 5G (IMT 2020)
AI wireless and fiber optic network technologies; IMT 2030 “native AI” concept
Verizon’s 6G Innovation Forum joins a crowded list of 6G efforts that may conflict with 3GPP and ITU-R IMT-2030 work
Highlights of 3GPP Stage 1 Workshop on IMT 2030 (6G) Use Cases
Ericsson and e& (UAE) sign MoU for 6G collaboration vs ITU-R IMT-2030 framework
