Beyond Adoption: Rethinking Technology Acceptance through a Social Acceptance Framework for 6G

Technologies like 6G are not merely adopted; they are negotiated, contested, and legitimized through complex social processes. Yet dominant models in ICT research, such as TAM, UTAUT, and public acceptance surveys, reduce acceptance to individual attitudes or behavioral intentions. To address this limitation, we introduce the Social Acceptance of Technology (SAT) framework, which draws from energy transition studies. SAT conceptualizes acceptance as a multi-level phenomenon shaped by institutions, values, and governance. Applied to 6G, the framework helps identify how acceptance unfolds across innovation agendas, deployment practices, and institutional change. Rather than replacing existing approaches, SAT situates them within a broader context – offering a more integrated perspective for understanding and guiding responsible technology development.