As the industry looks ahead to the upcoming IBC 2026, attention is starting to shift towards the next generation connectivity, 6 G.
There are big expectations behind the new 6G technology: faster speed, lower latency and the potential to support new types of media experiences. Even though everything looks like a natural next step for the industry on paper, “6G may not justify either hype or investment”, Adrian Pennington reports. The push for 6G feels familiar because each generation arrives with the idea that it will transform the workflow overnight. However, in practice, the adoption tends to be slower, influenced by cost, infrastructure and actual production needs rather than pure technological capability. For filmmakers and media professionals, the question is not just what 6G is capable of doing, but whether it can solve real problems, because today’s challenges are still centred around stable connections, flexible workflows and managing production costs.
Early discussions like this one are starting ahead of IBC 2026. For now, the conversation is less about adoption and more about direction and where the industry wants to go and how quickly it actually needs to get there.
Register your interest for IBC2026  to be the first to hear about major show updates, including when registration opens, and to receive the latest news on the trends, technologies and ideas shaping this year’s event. Taking place 11–14 September at the RAI, Amsterdam, you can keep up with the latest here.
