Intercentrality
The concept I’d like to introduce is intercentrality. It describes a situation in which extreme centralisation and extreme decentralisation can work together in an organisational structure that can be alternated within the system as a whole and within specific components: infrastructure and applications. The concept extrapolates traditional governance, open source, privacy and literacy activists, and the foundation of today’s hybrid infrastructure: connectivity (5G/6G), semiconductors (ASML, NXP), IoT and IIoT, ML and AI, and Quantum.
SNS JU
In November 2021, Council Regulation 2021/2085 “established the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) as a legal and funding entity, one of the European Partnerships to step up the green and digital transition. This Partnership is jointly led by the EC and the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA). The 6G-IA is the voice of European Industry and Research for next-generation networks and services. The 6G-IA brings together a global industry community of telecoms and digital actors, such as operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs and ICT associations.”
Brokerage platform
Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) will soon open its 2026 Call, which is planned to open in January 2026 and will close in April 2026, with selected proposals to be contracted by the end of 2026. The SNS JU 2026 call text provides the context for identifying where your interests lie and the topics of the 2025 calls are used in this tool for you to indicate areas of interest.
SNS JU has listed our 6G phone proposal.
It has been approved as an IEEE Industry Activity: IEEE IC25-009-01: A Technical Reference Architecture Framework for an Open 6G Device Ecosystem. An Industry Connections Activity Initiation Document (ICAID)
Sebastian Frey is Chair. I am Vice Chair. We start now, in January 2026.
A 6G phone and independent data, media, AI ecosystem.
The goal is to initiate standards and framework activities to develop a technical reference architecture framework for an open 6G device ecosystem which provide all the capabilities of current smartphones, together with a fully secure digital wallet, trustworthy AI, and potentially also a router (e.g. for neighbourhood floating hotspots), all enabled from open trusted hardware modules in the devices and using open source applications.
The motivation is to move away from closed device ecosystems controlled by individual companies by enabling a new governance structure based on open source development on the new 6G connectivity platform. The consumer use case for 6G would be better served by this open approach but is currently lacking an industrial and societal framework. The intent is to support development of devices in a public-private structure, and to enable development of a new device Operating System – different from the closed ecosystems commonly used on current devices (e.g. Harmony, Apple and Android). We want trustworthy AI running from the hardware in the devices. This work seeks to build an ecosystem on the devices with open-source applications overseen by foundations and stewardships.
I encourage everyone interested to contact me at kranenbu@xs4all.nl to help shape a proposal.