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into all operations including the use of resources, such as the The European Flagship project Hexa-X has presented its 6G
radio spectrum. vision in [10] as a joint effort of 25 organizations. This vision
is about the interactions of a human world of our senses,
Regulators have noted that radio spectrum is a fundamental bodies, intelligence, and values; a digital world of
enabler for sustainable development, enabling key associated information, communication, and computing; and a physical
technologies, including universal broadband coverage, and world of objects and organisms. The six main research
digital transformation CO2-footprint reduction [12]. Radio challenges considered in Hexa-X include connecting
spectrum is a fundamental natural resource for wireless intelligence, the network of networks, sustainability, global
communications, and its management continues to be service coverage, extreme experience, and trustworthiness,
contentious [13]. Sustainability and spectrum management, which also stresses the importance of sustainable
including sustainable development actions, is an unexplored development.
topic. Spectrum access rules are fundamental for deploying
new wireless systems, driving or limiting development and The 6G vision by authors in [16] envisages holographic
ultimately defining market structures. Spectrum decisions communications and delay-sensitive AI applications and
also define how new innovative approaches to combat the discusses sub-terahertz and visible light communications and
sustainability challenges using wireless technologies can be massive use of multi-radio access technologies and multilink
introduced. 5G spectrum decisions have adopted local techniques as enabling technologies. Authors in [17] present
licenses in some countries, which has led to new business a large-dimensional and autonomous network architecture
opportunities but also fragmentation. This places nations in that combines space-air-ground-underwater networks. 6G
different starting points for sustainable development. vision in [18] stresses the role of socio-technical design of
6G and introduces additional senses and emotions as 6G
This paper brings sustainability into the R&D of future applications, proposing ultra-long battery life as a key
wireless networks. It analyzes what needs to be considered requirement. 6G vision in [19] expects new themes to
within traditional spectrum management policies for future emerge, such as new man-machine interfaces, ubiquitous
wireless networks (i.e., 6G), especially through sustainable universal computing, multi-sensor data fusion, and precision
development as defined in the UN SDG framework. sensing and actuation to control the physical world.

The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 The International Telecommunication Union
reviews ongoing joint 6G vision building work. Section 3 (radiocommunication sector ITU-R) has started the global
investigates the state of the art on the role of sustainability process for defining the mobile communications systems that
and sustainable development in 5G and 6G. Section 4 will be used in 2030s, 6G, in the form of International Mobile
focuses on the state of the art on spectrum management in Telecommunication (IMT) for 2030 and beyond. ITU-R has
5G and 6G. Finally, Section 5 gives author recommendations launched technology trends and vision work for IMT for
on the sustainability and spectrum management perspectives 2030 and beyond, aiming at completion in June 2022 and
for the 6G era, bringing these two perspectives together, June 2023, respectively. This process brings together
followed by conclusions. different stakeholder perspectives into a true joint 6G vision.

2. BUILDING A JOINT 6G VISION 2.2 Emerging local networks and changing business
ecosystem
First, we look at the state of the art of joint 6G vision building.
While wireless communication research is largely about new
2.1 Building blocks of 6G vision technology development, there is an ever-increasing need to
address related business and regulation considerations, since
Joint 6G vision building got kick-started in March 2019 with the deployment and use of new technology depends on them.
the world’s first large-scale global 6G event, the 6G Wireless The emergence of local 5G networks through a new local
Summit organized by the Finnish 6G Flagship program [14]. operator deployment model allowing different stakeholders
The event culminated in the publishing of the world’s first to deploy 5G networks within specific premises without
6G White Paper in September 2019 [7] as a collaborative direct MNO involvement is already changing the mobile
effort of 70 invited experts globally. It summarized the 6G business ecosystem [2-3]. These local networks can serve a
vision as “ubiquitous wireless intelligence”, and a major variety of user groups including closed groups resulting in
agreement was that sustainability is the key driver for 6G. private or non-public networks, or open user groups, such as
MNOs’ customers resulting in neutral host, or a mix of these.
The joint 6G vision effort was followed by the establishment These deployment models can fall under different regulatory
of 12 open thematic expert groups, leading to 12 white regimes, which influences their deployment and adoption [4].
papers in 2020-2021 by the 6G Flagship. These papers Their emergence is a highly national matter depending on
addressed many aspects of 6G, as well as UN SDGs, spectrum availability. In the lead up to 6G, local networks
including sustainability and also radio frequency (RF) and will become increasingly important, resulting in the potential
spectrum [15]. emergence of a large number of local networks deployed by
different stakeholders, making the resulting business
ecosystem more complex [7, 20-21].

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