Roundtable: Beyond 5G monetization

As operators begin planning 6G strategies, the industry faces a familiar but unresolved challenge: how to convert network innovation into sustainable commercial value. While 6G promises transformative capabilities - from AI-native networks and integrated sensing to immersive digital experiences and autonomous connectivity - many operators are still working to fully monetise 5G investments. This roundtable will explore how telecom leaders can leverage the 5G Era (including 5G Standalone and tG-Advanced) as a strategic bridge to 6G, ensuring that the next generation of connectivity is built around viable business outcomes, not just technical advancement.

Bringing together operators, vendors, analysts, and enterprise stakeholders, the session will examine how today’s 5G deployments can serve as a real-world testing ground for future 6G applications, business models, and go-to-market approaches. Rather than viewing 6G as a distant technology cycle, the discussion will focus on how operators can build on existing capabilities (e.g. network slicing, edge computing, automation, and API exposure) to identify which enterprise and consumer use cases generate measurable demand and genuine willingness to pay into the future.

A key element of the roundtable will be the presentation of exclusive, never before revealed industry data comparing the effectiveness of different 5G monetisation strategies across operators and regions. The findings provide real world insight into which commercial approaches have delivered the strongest results to date, where monetisation challenges persist, and which lessons are most relevant as the industry begins planning for 6G.  

The roundtable will centre on three core questions:

• How can operators use 5G and its evolutions (5G advanced and standalone) as a trial period to understand future 6G use cases and monetisation opportunities?
   
• What will truly differentiate 6G from 5G — and which new capabilities will customers actually pay for?
  
  
• What technology and ecosystem considerations should shape operators’ go-to-market strategies for 6G?

Designed as an interactive and forward-looking discussion, the session aims to move beyond technology roadmaps and focus on practical commercial strategy. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how operators can use the current 5G SA phase to validate future opportunities, reduce investment risk, and build a stronger commercial case for the transition to 6G.