Less than a week after China switched on its 5G network, it is already starting work on the development of 6G. Wang Wei, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said that 6G research is in the “initial stage”, but also stated that China must attach “great importance” to the technology.
New 6G working group
“We will consolidate and solve a series of basic theories, design methods and core technical issues in the field of mobile communication."
Wang Wei, Vice Minister.
China’s Science and Technology ministry is forming two teams to oversee the research and study of 6G, making it the first country to dive into the development of the network.
“6G technology research is still in the initial stage of exploration, the technical route is still not clear, and the key indicators and application scenarios have not been uniformly defined,” Wei said, in a speech to launch the new working group.
“We will consolidate and solve a series of basic theories, design methods and core technical issues in the field of mobile communication and information security," Wei continued, "and strive to achieve breakthroughs in basic research, core key technology research, standardization and other aspects.”
Huawei is also looking into 6G technology, and the company said earlier this year that it’s still in an “early phase”, and there’s “a long way to go” before commercialization.
Lack of use cases
5G promises faster speeds than ever, driverless cars and to transform the medical industry. However, we are yet to see 5G uses cases in the wild that support many of these headline grabbing applications, and it’s fair to say that the roll out of 5G is still in its infancy. But this isn’t stopping China looking at the shape of communication technology over the next decade and beyond.
- The pro's guide to 5G security
- Discover the top 5G phones
- 5G dangers: the fact and the fiction
- Will 5G Internet replace fibre broadband?
