China boosts 6G progress by accelerating R&D for key technologies

A telecommunications satellite on display at the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum on April 27, 2024. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT

Chinese officials and scholars vowed to promote the development and commercialization of 6G technology, with the nation's telecommunication achievements providing strong foundations.

During the 6G Innovation Development Forum, a subforum at the ongoing 2024 Zhongguancun Forum held in Beijing from Thursday to Monday, multiple research institutes in the telecommunications sector co-released a super-large MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) prototype verification system for the 6G wireless network, offering a technical basis for 6G application.

At present, research and development (R&D) into various 6G-related technologies is underway, and 6G technology is expected to achieve commercial operation in 2030, Huang Yuhong, executive vice president of Zhongguancun Pan Connected Mobile Communication Technology Innovation and Application Research Institute, said at the subforum.

"6G technology will further improve on the 5G network's low latency and connection stability. The data transmission speed will be amplified by dozens of times from 5G, and the number of connected terminals will also be increased," she noted.

A set of devices for 6G technical research and test displays at the 2024 Zhongguancun Forum on April 27, 2024. Photo: Tao Mingyang/GT

By the end of the first quarter of 2024, China had built 3.65 million 5G base stations nationwide, making it the world's largest and most advanced network infrastructure system, according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"China's rapid and steady development progress from 3G to 5G has accumulated abundant industrialization experience for telecommunications technologies. In addition, China's huge market, complete industrial chain, and large-scale infrastructure offer concrete foundations for 6G development," Chen Shanzhi, deputy general manager of China Information Communication Technologies Group Co, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Before 2025, China's 6G progress will be at the stage of key technology R&D, and trial operations will be conducted around 2029 before the formal commercialization, Chen added.

At the recent Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, technology experts said that 6G could become the basis for the next industrial revolution, as it will address the bandwidth limitations of existing infrastructure, and allow large-scale networks to connect with a wide variety of devices, Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.

Fang Lei, an official from China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), stated at the subforum that the commission will gather resources to build Beijing into an original innovation incubator for 6G.

SASAC called for breakthroughs in 6G research and development as well as the creation of standards, to ensure Beijing's influence in the global 6G development field. The commission will enhance the integration of 5G and Beijing's advanced industries such as satellite networks, intelligent connected cars, and robots, in order to foster 6G-related future industries.

Moreover, SASAC pledged to enhance international cooperation on 6G, form a globalized 6G development pattern, and promote the creation of international standards.