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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13314 |
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| _version_ | 1866917409493876736 |
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| author | Aijaz, Adnan |
| author_facet | Aijaz, Adnan |
| contents | Sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks are expected to operate for multiple decades, supporting mission-critical and globally federated digital services. This long operational horizon coincides with rapid advances in quantum computing that threaten the cryptographic foundations of contemporary mobile systems. While post-quantum cryptography is widely recognized as a necessary technical response, its effective deployment in 6G depends equally on the evolution of regulatory policy and global compliance frameworks. This article argues that quantum-safe 6G represents a regulatory inflection point for mobile networks, as existing compliance models shaped by static cryptographic assumptions, incremental evolution, and point-in-time certification are poorly suited to long-term quantum risk. Building on an analysis of baseline telecom compliance challenges, the evolution of security regulation from 2G to 5G, and the regulatory impact of post-quantum cryptography adoption, the article shows why incremental regulatory extensions are insufficient. To address this gap, the article advances a compliance-by-design perspective in which regulatory requirements are treated as system-level design constraints, emphasizing cryptographic agility, lifecycle-aware governance, continuous compliance observability, and interoperability-driven global assurance, and concludes by examining the risks of fragmented global compliance for quantum-safe 6G networks. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_13314 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Missing Pillar in Quantum-Safe 6G: Regulation and Global Compliance Aijaz, Adnan Networking and Internet Architecture Sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks are expected to operate for multiple decades, supporting mission-critical and globally federated digital services. This long operational horizon coincides with rapid advances in quantum computing that threaten the cryptographic foundations of contemporary mobile systems. While post-quantum cryptography is widely recognized as a necessary technical response, its effective deployment in 6G depends equally on the evolution of regulatory policy and global compliance frameworks. This article argues that quantum-safe 6G represents a regulatory inflection point for mobile networks, as existing compliance models shaped by static cryptographic assumptions, incremental evolution, and point-in-time certification are poorly suited to long-term quantum risk. Building on an analysis of baseline telecom compliance challenges, the evolution of security regulation from 2G to 5G, and the regulatory impact of post-quantum cryptography adoption, the article shows why incremental regulatory extensions are insufficient. To address this gap, the article advances a compliance-by-design perspective in which regulatory requirements are treated as system-level design constraints, emphasizing cryptographic agility, lifecycle-aware governance, continuous compliance observability, and interoperability-driven global assurance, and concludes by examining the risks of fragmented global compliance for quantum-safe 6G networks. |
| title | The Missing Pillar in Quantum-Safe 6G: Regulation and Global Compliance |
| topic | Networking and Internet Architecture |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13314 |