6G is coming? Is it too early to start 6G research now?

With the implementation of 5G, the direction of mobile communication technology evolution has shifted to 6G. Theoretically, compared with 5G, the transmission speed of 6G network is 100 times faster, and the network delay can also be reduced from milliseconds to microseconds. The emergence of 5G has broken the boundaries of human communication, and what impact will the arrival of 6G have on human work and life?

On September 16, the 2021 6G Seminar - 6G Vision and Outlook was held in Beijing. Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that 6G for commercial use in 2030 is still in the stage of vision demand research and concept formation, and the technical direction and solutions of 6G are still being explored.

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What is 6G?

Currently, global research on 6G is in its infancy, and the industry has not yet reached a consensus on what 6G is and what it can be used for.

However, according to the definition of 6G in the "White Paper on 6G Overall Vision and Potential Key Technologies" released by the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, 6G will be able to expand from serving people and people and things to supporting the efficient connection of intelligent bodies, and realize efficient and intelligent interconnection between people, people and things, and things and things in the physical world, creating a ubiquitous, sophisticated, real-time, reliable, and organically integrated digital world.

The white paper believes that the 6G network will be based on ground cellular networks, and various non-ground communications such as high-orbit satellite networks, medium- and low-orbit satellite networks, aerial platforms, and drones will realize an integrated three-dimensional network of air, space, and land, providing users with broadband mobile communication services without blind spots; 6G services will show development trends such as immersion, intelligence, and globalization, forming eight major business applications such as immersive cloud XR, holographic communication, sensory interconnection, intelligent interaction, communication perception, inclusive intelligence, digital twins, and full-area coverage, to better support the needs of high-quality economic development, further realize the precision of social governance, the efficiency of public services, and the diversification of people's lives, and continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.

These domestic enterprises have already laid out

In fact, not long after the 5G commercial license was issued, my country officially launched the sixth-generation mobile communication (6G) technology research and development work in November 2019, and established the National 6G Technology Research and Development Promotion Working Group and the Overall Expert Group. In the same year, the three major operators also began to study 6G. For example, China Mobile and Tsinghua University established a strategic partnership. The two parties will carry out scientific research cooperation in key areas such as future mobile communication networks for 6G and jointly establish a joint research institute; China Unicom has carried out research on 6G terahertz communication technology; China Telecom's research direction is 6G technology with millimeter wave as the main frequency and terahertz as the secondary frequency.

In addition to operators, domestic related companies have also joined the ranks of 6G deployment. Huawei began researching and investing in 6G technology as early as 2017, and has established 6G R&D centers in many regions around the world. According to Zhihuiya data, Huawei and its affiliates have more than 2,100 published patent applications directly related to "6G" in 126 countries and regions around the world, of which invention patents account for 99.81%.

ZTE established a 6G research team in 2018 to systematically study 6G network architecture, new spectrum, new air interface, and its integration with technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, and pay attention to cutting-edge basic materials and devices related to 6G.

In 2019, vivo began its research on 6G and has had extensive communication and exchanges with the industry, including operators, standardization organizations, industry chain partners, and friendly companies, and has also cooperated with many universities at home and abroad.

In October 2019, at the IEEE International Communications Conference, OPPO Chief 5G Scientist Tang Hai stated that OPPO has started 6G research and development. In July 2021, OPPO officially released the company's first 6G white paper "6G Network Architecture Empowered by AI Cube", which proposed a more detailed solution for the design of the next-generation communication network architecture. In addition, OPPO has established a pre-research team for 6G to carry out early research on 6G business and technical requirements, key technologies, system characteristics, etc.

It is worth mentioning that according to a survey conducted by market research organization Cyber ​​Creative Institute on about 20,000 patent applications for nine 6G core technologies, including communications, quantum technology, base stations and artificial intelligence, China is far ahead in the number of 6G patent applications worldwide, accounting for 40.3%, ranking first.

Is it too early to explore 6G?

5G networks are not yet popular, but 6G technology has already begun to be developed. Is it too early?

Generally speaking, mobile communication technology is updated every 10 years. At present, the commercialization of 5G is in its infancy, and now is the right time to start 6G research. In addition to China, Finland, the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries are also working intensively on 6G-related work.

In 2018, Nokia, the University of Oulu and the Finnish National Technical Research Center (VTT) jointly launched the "6Genesis, Wireless Intelligent Society and Ecosystem Supporting 6G" project, which will invest more than 250 million euros in the next eight years. In September 2019, the 6G flagship research program of the University of Oulu in Finland released the world's first 6G white paper "Key Drivers and Research Challenges of 6G Ubiquitous Wireless Intelligence".

In January 2019, LG cooperated with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to jointly establish a 6G research center to "lead the next generation of mobile electronic communication technology"; in June 2021, South Korea announced a "6G R&D Implementation Plan" to invest 220 billion won in the next five years to develop 6G core technologies.

In September 2020, the Russian Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skolkovo Tech) said it had developed a device that could be used to manufacture components for 6G communication systems. The device allows simulation of optical radiation with a wavelength of 1.5 microns and electrical signals with a frequency of 10 GHz.

In September 2020, foreign media reported that the United States intends to increase investment in the more advanced 6G wireless communications field. The U.S. Department of Defense also officially announced that it will fund a cooperative project team composed of more than 30 American universities to conduct a full range of research on terahertz technology.

In December 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan and the National Institute of Information and Communications (NICT) of Japan jointly opened the "Beyond 5G New Business Strategy Center" with the aim of starting and carrying out 6G (sixth-generation mobile communications) related research as soon as possible.

In conclusion:

With the development of science and technology and the progress of human society, mobile communication technology is also advancing with the times and constantly changing. From the 1G to 4G era, it is the mobile communication and connection between people that is realized; in the 5G era, the communication connection between people is extended to the Internet of Everything. What will the 6G era be like in the future? Let us wait and see.