The advent of the 6G era and the global competitive landscape
The commercial use of 5G network has become a reality, but with the rapid development of communication technology, 6G research and standard formulation are also in full swing. As a next-generation communication technology, 6G is expected to be commercialized around 2030 and become a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. What is the current state of development of 6G technology? What is the competitive landscape of major countries and regions in the field of 6G? Let's find out.
The development status of 6G technology
Research on 6G technology is currently being actively carried out around the world. According to ITU's plan, early 6G research was launched in 2020 and includes the formation of key reports such as the Future Technology Trend Research Report and the Future Technology Vision Proposal. It is expected that the 6G spectrum demand will be formally discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference at the end of 2023, and the 6G spectrum allocation is likely to be completed by the end of 2027. Currently, potential 6G candidate bands include terahertz bands, millimeter wave bands, and 6GHz bands.
In terms of standardization, 3GPP has clarified the time node for 6G standardization. After the 3GPP R16 standard was frozen in July 2020, R17, which was originally planned to be frozen at the end of 2021, was postponed to June 2022 due to the pandemic. With the large-scale commercial use of 5G networks entering the fast lane, the strategic layout for 6G has been fully launched. Many countries and regions, international organizations, academia and industry around the world have carried out 6G research, but there is no unified consensus on the vision, key technologies and standards of 6G.
At the technical level, terahertz communication technology may become an important direction for the development of 6G communication technology. In March 2019, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opened the 95GHz-3THz terahertz band as the world's first 6G experimental spectrum and issued a 10-year experimental spectrum license. In terms of terahertz technology research, the United States is leading the way in terms of potential key technology reserves.
6G development trends in major countries and regions around the world
The United States attaches great importance to the development of 6G and hopes to establish a leadership position in the 6G era. In 2020, the United States established the NextG Alliance to promote the global promotion of 6G-related policies and budgets, technologies and services, etc., and more than 30 information and communication giants such as Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, and Nokia have joined so far. The United States has also taken the lead in opening up the 6G experimental spectrum and is leading the way in teraherhz technology research.
The European Union is also actively promoting the development of 6G. In May 2019, 32 countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Japan, reached a 6G cooperation agreement in Prague. Finland, Sweden and other countries have also signed 6G cooperation agreements with South Korea.
Japan is also not far behind in the field of 6G. The Japanese government has formulated a strategy to establish key 6G technologies by 2025 and achieve 6G commercial use by 2030. Japanese telecommunications companies DOCOMO and NTT have jointly developed the world's first high-speed 6G wireless device, with transmission speeds of up to 100Gbps per second, 10 times the peak speed of 5G. Some experts also believe that there is a "gimmick" component in the device, and there is still a certain distance from real commercial use.
China has also started research and development in the field of 6G and has made positive progress. Since 2019, Continental has set up a 6G promotion team to systematically promote various tasks such as demand, technology, standards and international cooperation. According to Wang Zhiqin, head of the 6G promotion team, the standardization of 6G technology in mainland China will be formulated in 2025, and it is expected to achieve 6G commercialization around 2030.
In addition to the above-mentioned countries and regions, South Korea, Russia and other countries are also actively deploying 6G development. Based on the "Digital New Deal 2.0" strategy, the South Korean government is working hard to promote the use of 5G and artificial intelligence, cultivate the metaverse industry, and plan to invest about $193 million in 6G technology research and development and standardization by 2025. Russia plans to skip 5G and develop 6G networks directly, striving to become the first country in the world to commercialize 6G.