The 3GPP seems to imagine operators are breathlessly noting every milestone in the countdown to 6G, even as they struggle to recoup their investments in 5G, or in some cases complete its deployment. Now the standards body hopes that consciousness will be raised further by approval of a 6G logo that will act as a tangible badge for standardization work. However, it is almost certain that 6G will arrive with a whimper, rather than a bang. The next three standards, starting with the imminent Release 18, come under the heading of ‘5G Advanced,’ which itself is an arbitrary cut off point for what is essentially the continued evolution of capabilities or infrastructure already in place. 5G Advanced can be compared…