NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, 6G deployments will begin as a radio upgrade before evolving into AI-native networks supported by distributed AI infrastructure. The firm forecasts total 6G radio revenue will grow from US$8.1 billion in 2029 to US$67.0 billion in 2034, creating a strategic inflection point for operators deciding whether to stay focused on connectivity or move up the AI value chain.
“Operators have a narrow window to decide what role they want to play in the 6G era,” says Michael Moreno, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “A simple radio upgrade improves capacity and efficiency, but the larger long-term opportunity lies in building the compute, orchestration, and service layers needed to support distributed AI workloads and enterprise AI monetization.”
ABI Research also finds that AI-chipset radio revenue will scale rapidly through the 6G transition, rising from US$1.8 billion in 2029 to US$57.7 billion in 2034 and increasing from 23% to 86% of total 6G radio revenue over that period. The firm identifies 2029 through 2031 as the key economic validation phase, when operators will test whether enterprise demand, inference services, and token-based consumption models can justify broader investment in distributed AI infrastructure.
The research highlights a sharp divide between a lower-risk RAN-led upgrade path and a more transformative AI-Grid model. In the first scenario, operators make limited changes beyond the RAN and incremental upgrades to the core and transport layers; in the second, they must redesign the network across core, edge, OSS/BSS, automation, and compute to support real-time workload placement and AI-native services. Vendor activity from Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, NVIDIA, Mavenir, Intel, and hyperscalers underscores that the ecosystem is already positioning for both outcomes.
“The real question is not whether AI will be part of 6G, but who will capture the value it creates,” Moreno says. “Tier-1 operators may have the scale to invest in AI infrastructure ownership and application enablement, while smaller operators will likely need to focus on partnerships, AI hosting, and selective edge opportunities where latency, locality, or sovereignty requirements create an advantage over centralized cloud providers.”
These findings are from ABI Research’s 6G Deployment Scenarios: From a Simple Radio Upgrade to Distributed AI Infrastructure report, part of the company’s Telco AI research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights.
About ABI Research
ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.
ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司，拥有得天独厚的优势，充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁，通过提供独家研究和专业性指导，推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略，无缝连接这两大主体。
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