Sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks are expected to operate for multiple decades, supporting mission-critical and globally federated digital services. This long operational horizon coincides with rapid advances in quantum computing that threaten the cryptographic foundations of contemporary mobile systems. While post-quantum cryptography is widely recognized as a necessary technical response, its effective deployment in 6G depends equally on the evolution of regulatory policy and global compliance frameworks. This article argues that quantum-safe 6G represents a regulatory inflection point for mobile networks, as existing compliance models shaped by static cryptographic assumptions, incremental evolution, and point-in-time certification are poorly suited to long-term quantum risk. Building on an analysis of baseline telecom compliance challenges, the evolution of security regulation from 2G to 5G, and the regulatory impact of post-quantum cryptography adoption, the article shows why incremental regulatory extensions are insufficient. To address this gap, the article advances a compliance-by-design perspective in which regulatory requirements are treated as system-level design constraints, emphasizing cryptographic agility, lifecycle-aware governance, continuous compliance observability, and interoperability-driven global assurance, and concludes by examining the risks of fragmented global compliance for quantum-safe 6G networks.

翻译：[translated abstract in Chinese] 第六代（6G）移动网络预计将运行数十年之久，支撑关键任务型及全球联邦式数字服务。这一长期运行窗口恰逢量子计算的迅猛发展，其正威胁当代移动系统的密码学根基。尽管后量子密码学被广泛视为必要的技术应对方案，但其在6G中的有效部署同样取决于监管政策与全球合规框架的演进。本文论证：量子安全6G代表了移动网络的监管转折点——现有基于静态密码学假设、渐进式演进及时点认证的合规模型难以适应长期量子风险。基于对基础电信合规挑战、2G至5G安全监管演进及后量子密码学采纳的监管影响分析，本文阐释了为何渐进式监管扩展存在不足。为填补这一空白，本文提出"合规即设计"视角，将监管要求视为系统级设计约束，强调密码敏捷性、生命周期感知治理、持续合规可观测性及互操作性驱动的全球保障，最后探讨了碎片化全球合规对量子安全6G网络的风险。