# Sustainability as a Challenge and Driver for Novel Ecosystem 6G Business Scenarios
## 1 Introduction  
Business models of the digital time have been transforming existing industries with unprecedented speed, and the telecommunications industry follows a similar path. The wireless network technology evolution and revolution will transform multiple sectors through services provided at speeds of hundreds of gigabits per second, support of a wide range of novel applications connecting billions of devices and objects, and versatility by virtualization, enabling innovative business models [1, 2]. The very first 5 th generation (5G) mobile communication networks of release 15 of the 3 GPP under deployment have focused on enhanced mobile broadband use cases. The standard release 16 introduced capabilities for industrial ultra-reliable low latency communication use cases in June 2020, and release 17 planned for December 2021 has its focus on high numbers of Internet of Things (IoT) devices,also known as massive machine-type communication. The current 5G market is dominated by incumbent mobile network operators (MNOs), who provide service to the masses with the help of high infrastructure investments and spectrum licenses granted by the regulators with exclusivity nationwide. At the same time, the delivery of services is changing from MNO centricity to more dynamicity [3]. This stems from the 5G architectural developments where software-defined networking, network function virtualization and network slicing, and cloudification dominate. Additionally, related business developments are taking place such as emerging new local 5G micro operator service business models and vertically structured service and application ecosystems [4]. To make sense of 6G business using alternative futures research, it is important to depict the future 6G systems targeting deployment in the 2030s in a holistic manner covering the interaction between technology and society. The convergence between nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science has increased lately. 6G technologies [5] will be at the heart of this convergence and fundamentally contribute to society. In turn, new models for business engagement, identification of opportunities, and development of strategies for both small enterprises and large conglomerates are expected to emerge [2]. The application of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing at the edge of the network with ubiquitous near-real-time wireless connectivity in 6G will change many aspects of our personal and working lives, and the structure of the economy in the 2030s. The inclusion of information technology and communication techniques into the physical industries will positively contribute to productivity growth, especially when digital twins are integrated into the physical world. The future of 6G will be influenced by increasing societal requirements including inclusivity, sustainability, resilience, and transparency which add up to a complicated societal mix [5; 6]. This calls transdisciplinary interaction and human-centered design of technologies from the quintuple of political, economic, social, technological, and environmental perspectives [7]. We are witnessing the emergence of new consumers known as \"experientials\" who see the user experience as being central in the interaction with technologies [8]. The business perspective specifically needs to consider sustainability [9; 10] in a way that combines the economic (e.g., profit, business stability, financial resilience, viability), societal (e.g., individuals', communities', regulative values), and environmental (e.g., renewables, low emissions, low waste, biodiversity, pollution prevention) perspectives. While the basic broadband connectivity service continues to turn into a commodity, the telecommunication industry is seeking ways to expand its connectivity provider role towards the digital transformation [2]. Value chains are increasingly built around access to data and data ownership. Limiting the access to data has become an efficient means of control and restricting opportunity for empowerment.