Remarks Of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to ATIS' Next G Alliance: The Roadmap To 6G

"As we develop the roadmap to 6G, we must remember several considerations," said Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks at ATIS' "Next G Alliance: The Roadmap to 6G" event. "First, many of the technical characteristics that will contribute to 6G’s performance could also produce security vulnerabilities...Industry and policymakers must ensure that security standards are baked into 6G, rather than bolted on. Second, 6G presents both an environmental challenge as well as an opportunity." Starks continued, "Figuring out how to reduce carbon emissions and electronic waste must be part of the 6G conversation, even as we look forward to the environmental benefits otherwise generated by advanced networks. Finally, the 6G revolution must leave no one behind. As I’ve said before, the increasing importance of online communication has caused our digital divide to evolve into a state of Internet inequality. Even as broadband has allowed many of us to see our doctors remotely and work and learn from home, millions of other Americans continue to lack any broadband service at all. We need to ensure that 6G networks are available to all Americans, regardless of location or income, so everyone can realize the benefits of this technology."