Telia has paired with network vendor Ericsson to launch 6G field trials in Sweden.

The two Swedish companies referred to the trials as "one of the Nordic region’s first major outdoor trials of 6G," and said they form part of a new joint roadmap for 6G development in Sweden.

The aim is to demonstrate Sweden's potential as a leader in the AI digital infrastructure arena.

According to Telia, the trials will see both companies evaluate 6G coverage, signal performance, uplink capacity, reliability, and latency, with the aim of optimizing how 6G networks are designed and deployed.

The trials tap Ericsson’s pre-standard 6G capabilities in the upper 6GHz frequency band.

The 6G roadmap covers technology development, industry collaboration, security and spectrum planning.

6G isn't expected to launch until the end of the decade, though planning for these networks is already underway.

“Our investments in robust, secure and comprehensive 5G networks serve as a natural stepping-stone towards the next generation of connectivity: 6G. We are now bringing together industry, academia and the public sector to ensure Sweden takes a leading role in 6G development, based on the needs of society and businesses, and to contribute to a more secure and competitive Sweden," said Anders Olsson, head of Telia Sweden.

Patrick Johansson, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Ericsson added: “Sweden and the Nordic region have a proud tradition of being early adopters of mobility. Today’s announcement indicates our companies’ intention to continue that tradition. We look forward to working closely with Telia on the path to 6G.”

Telia and Ericsson will also assess future spectrum requirements, which include the 6GHz and 600MHz bands, to support the projected capacity and coverage needs of 6G networks.

As part of the 6G Roadmap put forward by Telia and Ericsson, the trial builds on existing initiatives, such as the NorthStar innovation program and Digital Arena Sweden, to "enable businesses, researchers and public-sector organizations to explore potential 6G applications."

Although it's still a few years away, discussion around 6G has significantly ramped up this year, with vendors trialing 6G technology. Carriers have been more vocal too, including T-Mobile US, as the company's CTO John Saw declared on last week's earnings call that T-Mobile will be "first with 6G" in the country.