Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile US and US Cellular joined other telecoms heavy hitters under the guise of the Next G Alliance, aiming to steer development of 6G and establish North America as a global leader in the technology.

The group’s work will span R&D, manufacturing, standardisation and market readiness, seeking to rally operators, vendors and other participants around a core set of priorities to influence technology development, government policy and funding.

Beyond the US operators, founding members of the group include Canadian operators Bell Canada and Telus; equipment vendors Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung; Qualcomm; Facebook; Microsoft; JMA Wireless; Ciena; InterDigital; and Telnyx.

The group was launched by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), which in May called on the US government and industry experts to begin work on the next generation of mobile networks.

ATIS CEO Susan Miller stated the Next G Alliance’s work will lay “the foundation for a vibrant marketplace for North American innovation”.