The Trump administration launched a global partnership with more than 20 allies on Monday to accelerate the development of secure 6G wireless networks, as Washington seeks to limit China’s influence over the next generation of telecommunications.
Officials first shared details of the initiative with Politico. The partnership includes countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan — and Greece. It aims to coordinate governments’ 6G strategies years before the technology is expected to begin replacing 5G networks in the 2030s.
The initial list of governments affirming the 6G partnership includes Albania, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The initiative establishes points of contact across participating governments, shares technical resources and lays the groundwork for commercial deployment. It also advances President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. leadership in 6G, following last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which charted a path to advance next-generation wireless networks, and a December presidential memorandum that directed diplomatic coalition-building.
The effort is intended to serve as a counterweight to China’s telecom ambitions and the global reach of companies such as Huawei and ZTE. Officials view closer collaboration with allies as critical to shaping international technical standards ahead of next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai, where countries will negotiate key decisions affecting the future of wireless networks.
“Today’s action recognizes that 6G will be dramatically different from 5G, and that advancing U.S. and allied leadership requires a dramatically different playbook,” said Arielle Roth, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is spearheading the initiative. “By working now with trusted partners, we will ensure that next generation networks reflect our shared security interests, strengthen our competitiveness, and drive innovation.”
The partnership could also help the United States navigate global challenges, including the ongoing war with Iran and discontent over Trump’s aggressive tariff policies.
The race to build 5G networks previously pitted the U.S. against China over national security concerns. Washington declared Chinese telecom companies to pose distinct risks and, dating back to the first Trump term, spent years urging allies to avoid partnering with Huawei and ZTE. The U.S. has spent billions of dollars helping telecom companies remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from rural networks.
The joint call to action states: “We are committed to promoting approaches to 6G that deliver an open, interoperable, secure, resilient, AI-supported, highly innovative, and resource efficient global communications system, with like-minded nations both leading in and benefiting from the most sophisticated wireless connectivity available. We must take concrete steps to strengthen our 6G supply chains, accelerate innovation, and ensure that the future of wireless communications is shaped by like-minded nations.”
It emphasizes the governments’ desire to develop “strong baselines for the security and resilience of our networks” and to work with industry, academia and other stakeholders on open, secure systems.
While each country’s specific steps will vary, the document sets collective commitments and benchmarks for the next month, three months, six months and one year — including an in-person gathering next year to discuss best practices, assess the strategic landscape with industry stakeholders, and set priorities for the following year.
Roth and Commerce Deputy Secretary Paul Dabbar are scheduled to present the initiative at a launch event on Wednesday hosted by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
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