| The transition of sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks from research excellence to market deployment depends not only on technological maturity but also on techno-economic design, regulatory harmonisation, and ecosystem alignment. This paper draws on early findings from the Horizon Europe SNS JU 6G-PATH project, which studies ten use cases across Smart Farming, Education, Healthcare, and Smart Cities verticals. The use cases are positioned on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Technology Adoption Life Cycle (TALC) scales on the basis of secondary market analysis, refined through expert panel review. All use cases occupy TRL 4-6, constrained by rural connectivity gaps, regulatory fragmentation, skills deficits, and uncertain return on investment. Six recurrent commercialisation pathways are then comparatively assessed, and a Transformative Commercialisation Model (TCM) is proposed. The TCM builds on existing European telecom policy tools: universal service obligations, spectrum coverage requirements, and co-investment rules, and adds a new mechanism in which funding and access are linked to verified real-world outcomes measured through Key Value Indicators (KVIs). The paper maps the key policy instruments and responsible regulators required for scale, and outlines validation steps for later phases of 6G-PATH. |
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