Why does 6G run so fast?

The latest 6G speed created by Chinese scientists has surprised many netizens: Purple Mountain Laboratory, in collaboration with teams from Southeast University, Pengcheng Laboratory, Fudan University and China Mobile, has built a domestically leading photonic terahertz experimental environment with the support of the 6G special project of the National Key R&D Program. For the first time, terahertz real-time wireless transmission with a single-wavelength net rate of 103.125Gbps and a dual-wavelength net rate of 206.25Gbps has been achieved. The communication rate is 10 to 20 times higher than that of 5G, creating the highest transmission record for terahertz real-time wireless communication currently reported publicly.

Many netizens expressed confusion: I haven’t experienced 5G yet, and 6G is coming soon? Is it necessary for 6G to run so fast?

Judging from industry rules, 6G must be planned in advance.

The first generation of mobile communication technology began in the 1980s. From the 1G era to the current 5G era, mobile communications have been upgraded every 10 years. Whenever a new generation of mobile communications begins to be commercialized, research on the next generation of mobile communications has already begun, because it takes about 10 years for it to be commercialized.

The first year of 5G commercialization in my country was 2019, when the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued four 5G licenses, marking the beginning of 5G commercialization. Also in 2019, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant ministries and commissions held a 6G technology research and development kick-off meeting and announced the establishment of the National 6G Technology Research and Development Promotion Working Group and the National 6G Technology Research and Development Overall Expert Group. China's 5G commercialization and 6G technology research and development were launched in the same year, which is in line with the development law of mobile communication technology.

Terahertz wireless communication is recognized as the core component of the 6G mobile communication system. The world record-breaking achievement is the interim result of China's early layout of 6G research and development. It is a laboratory result and is still far from the commercial stage. Industry insiders predict that 6G will be commercially available around 2030. Netizens don't have to worry about their 5G mobile phones "not being popular in an instant".

Judging from the accumulation of technologies, China has advantages in 6G research and development.

At present, countries are competing fiercely for 6G patents. In September 2021, Japan released a survey report that analyzed about 20,000 registered and pending patents in nine 6G core technology fields, including communication technology, quantum technology, base stations, and artificial intelligence, by country and region. The results showed that China ranked first with 40.3% of the global 6G patent applications, the United States ranked second with 35.2%, and Japan ranked third with 9.9%.

Formulating international standards for communication technology is the main strategic goal and focus of competition in the communication technology industry. Looking at the history of mobile communications from 1G to 5G, every change in information and communication technology is accompanied by a battle over technical standards. Countries with more patent applications tend to have a greater say in formulating industry standards. China is currently performing well in international 6G research and development, laying the foundation for industry competition in the next decade.

Judging from market potential, 6G application prospects are broad.

For personal mobile phones, many people think that the current 4G is enough, but the application of 5G and 6G goes far beyond personal mobile phones. 5G technology has been applied in telemedicine, military and other fields, and it is not as "impractical" as some netizens think. The application of 6G will be wider than 5G.

The 6G network will be a fully connected world integrating ground wireless and satellite communications, which means higher access rates, lower access latency, faster movement speeds and wider communication coverage. 6G is not just a simple breakthrough in network capacity and transmission rate, it is also aimed at narrowing the digital divide and achieving the "ultimate goal" of the Internet of Everything. It will also meet the needs of new applications such as holographic communications and the metaverse in the future.

Why does 6G have to run so fast? Because all countries want to run so fast, because my country has the ability to run so fast, and because running so fast will bring us a better world!