Abstract: This whitepaper delineates the complete migration path for 6G telecommunications infrastructure toward post-quantum readiness. We evaluate computational complexity, memory footprints, and protocol overhead of NIST FIPS 203 and 204 across core network functions (AMF, SMF, UPF).
State-sponsored adversaries are actively intercepting and storing encrypted cellular traffic today. Once cryptanalytically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) mature, all historical traffic protected by RSA-2048 or ECC will be retroactively decrypted. Migrating 6G core signaling to ML-KEM is an urgent operational priority.
We demonstrate custom AVX-512 and Arm Neon vector assembly implementations of polynomial multiplication in the ring R_q = Z_q[X]/(X^256 + 1), accelerating ML-KEM key generation to under 12 microseconds per operation, allowing a single 6G Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) to sustain over 80,000 handshakes per second.
We align 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS 33.501) with IETF TLS 1.3 hybrid key exchange drafts and ETSI TC CYBER directives, offering telecom operators an actionable timeline for phase-by-phase rollout across commercial cellular deployments.