6G

{{Update|section|date=April 2024}}

6G networks are expected to be developed and released by the early 2030s.{{Cite news|title=China sends world's first 6G test satellite into orbit|language=en-GB|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-54852131|access-date=November 7, 2020|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108080701/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-54852131|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=November 6, 2020|title=China launches 'world's first 6G experiment satellite'|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/china-launches-worlds-first-6g-experiment-satellite/2034321|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106101300/https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/china-launches-worlds-first-6g-experiment-satellite/2034321 |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |access-date=November 7, 2020|website=Anadolu Agency}} The largest number of 6G patents have been filed in China.{{Cite journal |last1=Asghar |first1=Muhammad Zeeshan |last2=Memon |first2=Shafique Ahmed |last3=Hämäläinen |first3=Jyri |date=May 23, 2022 |title=Evolution of Wireless Communication to 6G: Potential Applications and Research Directions |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=6356 |doi=10.3390/su14106356 |issn=2071-1050 |doi-access=free}}

Recent academic publications have been conceptualizing 6G and new features that may be included. Artificial intelligence (AI) is included in many predictions, from 6G supporting AI infrastructure to "AI designing and optimizing 6G architectures, protocols, and operations."{{cite magazine | last1 = Letaief | first1 = Khaled B. | last2 = Chen | first2 = Wei | last3 = Shi | first3 = Yuanming | last4 = Zhang | first4 = Jun | last5 = Zhang | first5 = Ying-Jun Angela | author5-link = Ying Jun Zhang | arxiv = 1904.11686 | date = August 2019 | doi = 10.1109/mcom.2019.1900271 | issue = 8 | magazine = IEEE Communications Magazine | pages = 84–90 | title = The roadmap to 6G: AI empowered wireless networks | volume = 57}} Another study in Nature Electronics looks to provide a framework for 6G research stating "We suggest that human-centric mobile communications will still be the most important application of 6G and the 6G network should be human-centric. Thus, high security, secrecy and privacy should be key features of 6G and should be given particular attention by the wireless research community."{{Cite journal|last1=Dang|first1=Shuping|last2=Amin|first2=Osama|last3=Shihada|first3=Basem|last4=Alouini|first4=Mohamed-Slim|date=January 2020|title=What should 6G be?|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-019-0355-6|journal=Nature Electronics|language=en|volume=3|issue=1|pages=20–29|doi=10.1038/s41928-019-0355-6|issn=2520-1131|arxiv=1906.00741|s2cid=211095143|access-date=April 28, 2021|archive-date=January 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121113816/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41928-019-0355-6|url-status=live}}

The frequency bands for 6G are undetermined. Initially, Terahertz was considered an important band for 6G, as indicated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers which stated that "Frequencies from 100 GHz to 3 THz are promising bands for the next generation of wireless communication systems because of the wide swaths of unused and unexplored spectrum."{{Cite journal|last1=Rappaport|first1=Theodore S.|last2=Xing|first2=Yunchou|last3=Kanhere|first3=Ojas|last4=Ju|first4=Shihao|last5=Madanayake|first5=Arjuna|last6=Mandal|first6=Soumyajit|last7=Alkhateeb|first7=Ahmed|last8=Trichopoulos|first8=Georgios C.|date=2019|title=Wireless Communications and Applications Above 100 GHz: Opportunities and Challenges for 6G and Beyond|journal=IEEE Access|volume=7|pages=78729–78757|doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2921522|bibcode=2019IEEEA...778729R |issn=2169-3536|doi-access=free}}

One of the challenges in supporting the required high transmission speeds will be the limitation of energy consumption and associated thermal protection in the electronic circuits.{{cite journal |author=Smulders |first=Peter |year=2013 |title=The Road to 100 Gb/s Wireless and Beyond: Basic Issues and Key Directions |journal=IEEE Communications Magazine |volume=51 |issue=12 |pages=86–91 |doi=10.1109/MCOM.2013.6685762 |s2cid=12358456}}

As of now, mid bands are being considered by WRC for 6G/IMT-2030.

Millimeter waves (30 to 300 GHz) and terahertz radiation (300 to 3,000 GHz) might, according to some speculations, be used in 6G. However, the wave propagation of these frequencies is much more sensitive to obstacles than the microwave frequencies (about 2 to 30 GHz) used in 5G and Wi-Fi, which are more sensitive than the radio waves used in 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G. Therefore, there are concerns those frequencies may not be commercially viable, especially considering that 5G mmWave deployments are very limited due to deployment costs.

In October 2020, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) launched a "Next G Alliance", an alliance consisting of AT&T, Ericsson, Telus, Verizon, T-Mobile, Microsoft, Samsung, and others that "will advance North American mobile technology leadership in 6G and beyond over the next decade."{{cite web |title=ATIS Launches Next G Alliance to Advance North American Leadership in 6G |url=https://www.atis.org/press-releases/atis-launches-next-g-alliance-to-advance-north-american-leadership-in-6g/ |first=Marcella |last=Wolfe |date=October 13, 2020 |access-date=February 18, 2021 |publisher=Atis |archive-date=February 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222105109/https://www.atis.org/press-releases/atis-launches-next-g-alliance-to-advance-north-american-leadership-in-6g/ |url-status=live }}

In January 2022, Purple Mountain Laboratories of China claimed that its research team had achieved a world record of 206.25 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) data rate for the first time in a lab environment within the terahertz frequency band, which is supposed to be the base of 6G cellular technology.{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162411/chinese-lab-says-it-made-breakthrough-6g-mobile-technology-global|title=Chinese lab says it made a breakthrough in 6G mobile technology as global standards-setting race heats up|last=Pan|first=Che|work=South China Morning Post|date=January 6, 2022|accessdate=June 26, 2024}}

In February 2022, Chinese researchers stated that they had achieved a record data streaming speed using vortex millimetre waves, a form of extremely high-frequency radio wave with rapidly changing spins, the researchers transmitted 1 terabyte of data over a distance of 1 km (3,300 feet) in a second. The spinning potential of radio waves was first reported by British physicist John Henry Poynting in 1909, but making use of it proved to be difficult. Zhang and colleagues said their breakthrough was built on the hard work of many research teams across the globe over the past few decades. Researchers in Europe conducted the earliest communication experiments using vortex waves in the 1990s. A major challenge is that the size of the spinning waves increases with distance, and the weakening signal makes high-speed data transmission difficult. The Chinese team built a unique transmitter to generate a more focused vortex beam, making the waves spin in three different modes to carry more information, and developed a high-performance receiving device that could pick up and decode a huge amount of data in a split second.{{cite web |last=Chen |first=Stephen |date=February 10, 2022 |title=Race to 6G: Chinese researchers declare data streaming record with whirling radio waves |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3166372/race-6g-chinese-researchers-declare-data-streaming-record |url-access=subscription |website=South China Morning Post |access-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510042740/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3166372/race-6g-chinese-researchers-declare-data-streaming-record |url-status=live }}

In 2023, Nagoya University in Japan reported successful fabrication of three-dimensional wave guides with niobium metal,{{cite news

|url=https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-superconducting-niobium-waveguide-high-precision-communications.html

|title=Superconducting niobium waveguide achieves high-precision communications for B5G/6G networks

|author=Nagoya University

|website=techxplore.com

|date=October 5, 2023

|access-date=October 7, 2023

|archive-date=October 5, 2023

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005145246/https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-superconducting-niobium-waveguide-high-precision-communications.html

|url-status=live

}}

a superconducting material that minimizes attenuation due to absorption and radiation, for transmission of waves in the {{gaps|100|GHz}} frequency band, deemed useful in 6G networking.

On November 6, 2020, China launched a Long March 6 rocket with a payload of thirteen satellites into orbit. One of the satellites reportedly served as an experimental testbed for 6G technology, which was described as "the world's first 6G satellite."{{cite news |title=China sends 'world's first 6G' test satellite into orbit |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-54852131 |agency=BBC |access-date=November 7, 2020 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108080701/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-54852131 |url-status=live }}

During rollout of 5G, China banned Ericsson in favour of Chinese suppliers, primarily Huawei and ZTE.{{cite web | last=Morris | first=Iain | title=Ericsson and Nokia are nearer to the endgame in China | website=lightreading.com | date=October 24, 2022 | url=https://www.lightreading.com/5g/ericsson-and-nokia-are-nearer-to-the-endgame-in-china | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106162004/https://www.lightreading.com/5g/ericsson-and-nokia-are-nearer-to-the-endgame-in-china | url-status=live }}{{failed verification|sources stated Ericsson "was punished for [Swedish] government's decision to ban Huawei and ZTE"|date=February 2024}} Huawei and ZTE were banned in many Western countries over concerns of spying.{{cite web | last=Zhong | first=Raymond | title='Prospective Threat' of Chinese Spying Justifies Huawei Ban, U.S. Says | website=The New York Times | date=July 5, 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/technology/huawei-lawsuit-us-government.html | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106162418/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/technology/huawei-lawsuit-us-government.html | url-status=live }} This creates a risk of 6G network fragmentation.{{cite web | last=Dano | first=Mike | title=6G fragmentation may have just gotten a little closer | website=lightreading.com | date=October 5, 2023 | url=https://www.lightreading.com/6g/6g-fragmentation-may-have-just-gotten-a-little-closer | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106161853/https://www.lightreading.com/6g/6g-fragmentation-may-have-just-gotten-a-little-closer | url-status=live }} Many power struggles are expected during the development of common standards.{{cite web | title=6G Is Years Away, but the Power Struggles Have Already Begun | website=IEEE Spectrum | date=November 29, 2021 | url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/6g-geopolitics | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106164043/https://spectrum.ieee.org/6g-geopolitics | url-status=live }} In February 2024, the U.S., Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and the U.K. released a joint statement stating that they support a set of shared principles for 6G for "open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, resilient, and secure connectivity."{{Cite news |last=Habeshian |first=Sareen |date=February 26, 2024 |title=U.S. and allies endorse 6G principles amid tech race with China |url=https://www.axios.com/2024/02/27/6g-wireless-us-allies-principles-china-race |access-date=February 28, 2024 |work=Axios |archive-date=February 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227213741/https://www.axios.com/2024/02/27/6g-wireless-us-allies-principles-china-race |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=February 27, 2024 |title=Joint Statement Endorsing Principles for 6G: Secure, Open, and Resilient by Design |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/26/joint-statement-endorsing-principles-for-6g-secure-open-and-resilient-by-design/ |access-date=February 28, 2024 |website=The White House |language=en-US |archive-date=February 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228011157/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/26/joint-statement-endorsing-principles-for-6g-secure-open-and-resilient-by-design/ |url-status=live }}

6G is considered a key technology for economic competitiveness, national security, and the functioning of society. It is a national priority in many countries and is named as priority in China's Fourteenth five-year plan.{{cite web | last=Pettyjohn | first=Stacie | title=U.S.-China Competition and the Race to 6G | website=cnas.org | date=November 14, 2023 | url=https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/u-s-china-competition-and-the-race-to-6g | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106161448/https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/u-s-china-competition-and-the-race-to-6g | url-status=live }}{{cite web | title=Translation: 14th Five-Year Plan for National Informatization – Dec. 2021 | website=DigiChina | date=January 24, 2022 | url=https://digichina.stanford.edu/work/translation-14th-five-year-plan-for-national-informatization-dec-2021/ | access-date=January 6, 2024 | archive-date=January 5, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105230534/https://digichina.stanford.edu/work/translation-14th-five-year-plan-for-national-informatization-dec-2021/ | url-status=live }}

Many countries are favouring the OpenRAN approach, where different suppliers can be integrated together and hardware and software are independent of supplier.{{cite journal | last1=Kim | first1=Mi-jin | last2=Eom | first2=Doyoung | last3=Lee | first3=Heejin | title=The geopolitics of next generation mobile communication standardization: The case of open RAN | journal=Telecommunications Policy | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=47 | issue=10 | year=2023 | issn=0308-5961 | doi=10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102625 | page=102625| s2cid=265023622 }}

In March 2025 Australia's largest telecommunications provider Telstra announced that 6G is expected to be rolled out in the 2030s, with a budget of $800 million AUD to upgrade existing infrastructure over four years.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-09 |title=Australia's 5G network to get AI overhaul, as Telstra lays groundwork for 6G |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/telstra-ai-6g-australias-network-to-get-ai-overhaul-as-telstra-lays-groundwork/3c8c3723-9389-40c4-81e5-5a95a2023361 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.9news.com.au}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=Ankush|date=November 9, 2020|title=6G Companies: Telecom Players Kickstart Research Activities|url=https://www.greyb.com/6g-companies/|access-date=June 2, 2021|website=GreyB|language=en-US}}

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Category:Mobile telecommunications

Category:Internet of things

Category:Data centers

Category:Wireless communication systems

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