Western allies form 6G security coalition amid tech rivalry with China

A group of Western and Indo-Pacific nations launched a coalition on Tuesday aimed at shaping the security foundations of next-generation 6G mobile networks, as China accelerates its own research and investment in the technology.

The Global Coalition on Telecoms (GCOT) — comprising the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, with Sweden and Finland joining at the launch — unveiled voluntary security and resilience principles for the technology at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.

Drawing on lessons from the global rollout of 5G, the non-binding principles aim to ensure that future 6G networks are “secure by design” and resilient from the outset rather than retrofitted with protections later.

The guidance calls for stronger containment of cyber threats, protection of data confidentiality and integrity, supply chain diversification, support for quantum-resistent cryptography and safeguards for artificial intelligence embedded in networks.

According to the British government, the guidance is intended to influence researchers, vendors, operators and international standards bodies as 6G specifications are developed over the coming years.

6G is expected to integrate AI more deeply into network operations, link satellite and terrestrial systems and enable ultra-low-latency applications beyond current 5G capabilities — providing a new foundation for networks that already underpin sectors from finance and energy to defense and transportation. Commercial deployment is currently not expected until around 2030.

Rivalry with China

The coalition’s documents do not explicitly name China, but the initiative unfolds against a backdrop of growing strategic rivalry in advanced communications technologies.

Beijing has prioritized 6G research through state-backed initiatives, including the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group, and has emphasized participation in global standards-setting bodies including the International Telecommunication Union and 3GPP.

The country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology regularly celebrates domestic innovations on 6G. Chinese state-linked research has reported that China accounts for more than 40% of global 6G patent applications, although patent volume does not necessarily translate into final standards leadership or market share.

During the global rollout of 5G, several coalition members restricted equipment from Chinese telecom suppliers including Huawei and ZTE over security concerns. Officials in these countries cited China’s national security laws, which they argue could require companies to secretly cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence services.

These companies and officials in China have denied the allegations and said no evidence of wrongdoing has been produced. Beijing also rejects allegations by Western cyber agencies that it has engaged in a series of hacking campaigns targeting their governments and critical infrastructure.

Supporters of the 6G coalition say embedding security, resilience and supplier diversity early could reduce systemic vulnerabilities and limit future economic dependence on a narrow group of vendors.

Although formal 6G standards are still years away, the launch of the coalition underscores a view from governments that decisions made now on architecture and governance could shape the balance of technological and economic power for decades.