At this year’s European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) in Málaga, Henning Breuer joined session chair Marja Matinmikko-Blue together with Lars Christoph Schmelz, Eric Hardouin & Dag Lundén to discuss opportunities and challenges for sustainability in 6G business (see the full video here).
Prof. Dr. Henning Breuer of UXBerlin (and Media University Berlin) opened the discussion on “Sustainability in 6G Business” with a clear message: the next generation of telecommunications can become far more than a faster network. It can become a powerful driver of sustainability transformation—inside companies, across industries, and for society at large.
A central theme of his contribution was the evolution of telecom business models in the 6G era—from selling bandwidth and performance towards an orchestration of digital infrastructures-as-a-service and delivering sustainable value. Telecommunications providers may increasingly offer measurable ecological, social, and economic outcomes—such as low-carbon connectivity, inclusive access, circular infrastructure, and reporting services that help customers understand and improve their own sustainability performance.
For companies, this transformation requires more than technical innovation. Prof. Breuer highlighted three key implications: an extended understanding of value creation, a reframing of organisational values, and the cultivation of new cultural practices. Sustainability, in this view, moves beyond compliance or corporate social responsibility and becomes a guiding principle for innovation strategy and business model design. Likewise, related regulation should not be feared merely as an externally imposed standard for compliance, but used as a means alignment that facilitates collaboration and new business development.
(Conference Chair Luis M. Correia with Henning Breuer, Marja Matinmikko-Blue, Eric Hardouin, Lars Christoph Schmelz after the panel discussion)
Drawing from well-documented patterns, he explored promising 6G business models, including pay-for-success services, green and inclusive network slices, sustainability reporting as a new ICT revenue stream, and even a “6G connectivity passport” to track lifecycle data across networks, edge infrastructure, cloud services, devices, and suppliers. These examples show how sustainability can become part of market infrastructure—not just a set of abstract principles.
A recurring challenge remains: how to operationalise sustainability. The sector will need shared Key Value Indicators, credible methods for attributing impacts across complex value chains, and ways to manage trade-offs between ecological, social, and economic goals. To bridge these gaps, Prof. Breuer proposed a shared translation pipeline from values to indicators, design requirements, business models, and reporting evidence—supported by multi-stakeholder collaboration between academia, industry, regulators, and civil society.
For consulting firms working at the intersection of innovation, strategy, and sustainability, the message is highly relevant: 6G will not only be a technology transition. It will be a business transformation. The organisations that succeed will be those able to connect values with measurable outcomes, ecosystem collaboration, and repeatable innovation practices. The future of 6G will be shaped not only by what networks can do—but by the sustainable value they help create.
Ready to move from sustainability goals to measurable outcomes? The transition to 6G presents a unique opportunity to create new forms of ecological, social, and economic value. We help organizations design sustainable business models, align innovation with stakeholder values, and build the cultural capabilities needed for lasting transformation. Let’s explore what sustainable value creation could mean for your business.