Ericsson is to invest tens of millions of pounds in the development of 6G in the UK over the next decade.

The investment will look to focus on research areas including network resilience and security, artificial intelligence, cognitive networks, and energy efficiency.

The company has confirmed it will employ 20 dedicated researchers, as part of the 6G mobile research, while also working to support additional PhD students who will work alongside leading academics, CSPs, and industry partners to lead 6G research projects.

6G is not expected to become available until the 2030s, but the race is already on for mobile vendors to develop the next-generation technology.

“Ericsson has been connecting the UK for more than 120 years and this new investment underlines our ongoing commitment to ensure the country remains a global leader in the technologies and industries of the future," said Katherine Ainley, CEO, of Ericsson UK & Ireland.

“Our vision for a more connected, safer, and sustainable world is one that is shared by the UK government, and we look forward to working together with network operators, industries, and academia to develop international standards that will move us ever closer to achieving seamless global connectivity and truly groundbreaking innovation.”

Meanwhile, the UK government has called the investment "a huge vote of confidence in the UK's innovative telecoms sector".

Ericsson currently invests 18.1 percent of its global annual turnover in R&D, with the company boasting 21 R&D centers across Europe including Finland, Germany, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.

Elsewhere, yesterday Japan's NTT DOCOMO and Korea Republic's SK Telecom announced a collaboration to research 6G development opportunities together.