The commercial introduction of the fifth generation (5G) technology has begun worldwide, and it can be said that the 2020s belongs to 5G. But already, research and development strategies are aiming at what lies beyond 5G. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the race to 6G is underway; corporations and countries are looking to establish their leadership in this technology with a consensus view at commercialization around 2030.
Here’s a look at the initiatives and projects around the 6G technology so far, in no particular order.
China
China grabbed the world’s attention by sending a 6G satellite into the orbit last year. On November 6, 2020, the official twitter account of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America tweeted, “China sends 12 satellites into orbit with a single rocket, including the world’s first 6G experiment satellite.”
As far back as September 2019, Huawei’s founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said, “We have parallel work being done on 5G and 6G, so we started out 6G a long time ago. However, it is in an “early phase” and there’s still “a long way to go” before commercialization,” according to a news report. Huawei has embarked on 6G research, and is working on basic theories of 6G, including research on new air interface technologies, new network architectures, and key enabling technologies. Huawei is working to build a consensus on 6G by collaborating with other industry players.
In November 2019, China had set up a national 6G research and development working group and a general expert group to promote the development of 6G technology as announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). And in May 2020, that ZTE Corporation and China Unicom signed a strategic cooperation agreement on 6G. “As long-term partners, ZTE and China Unicom will carry out cooperation on 6G technological innovation and standards while actively promoting the in-depth integration of 6G with satellite networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), the Internet of Vehicles, and the Industrial IoT,” read the press release.
South Korea
South Korea has begun its preparation for full-scale 6G. In August 2020, Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun finalized the government’s strategy to promote R&D for future mobile telecommunication. To implement this plan, the government will invest ₩200 billion over five years from 2021 to secure high-risk basic 6G technology, according to reports. Korea plans to launch a pilot project for 6G mobile services in 2026. In January 2021, Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and the University of Oulu agreed to work on 6G network security and pursue joint research to achieve international standardization in advance.
Samsung has already outlined its vision for the next generation, 6G. Samsung’s vision for 6G is to bring the next hyper-connected experience to every corner of life. “While 5G commercialization is still in its initial stage, it’s never too early to start preparing for 6G because it typically takes around 10 years from the start of research to commercialization of a new generation of communications technology,” explained Sunghyun Choi, Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center. To accelerate research for 6G, Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub within Samsung Electronics’ SET Business, founded its Advanced Communications Research Center in mid-2019.
U.S.
In the U.S., some of the most well-known technology giants have joined the ‘Next G Alliance,’ launched by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) in October 2020. Apple, Google, Cisco, AT&T, Bell Canada, Ericsson, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., Samsung, T-Mobile, Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, LG Electronics, VMware, and many other names are part of this consortium. ATIS believes that, “By leveraging the knowledge gained from the development and early deployments of 5G, the U.S. can establish itself as a global leader in ideas, development, adoption, and rapid commercialization of 6G.”
Europe
In Europe, the University of Oulu of Finland is playing a vital role. The university’s 6G Flagship research program published the world’s first 6G white paper in 2019. The White Paper focused on the key drivers, research requirements, challenges, and research questions towards 6G. The research program has published more than 10 White Papers on the subject since then.
In January 2021, the European Commission’s 6G flagship initiative—Hexa-X—was launched. Nokia is leading this 2.5-year project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. Hexa-X is a consortium of 25 key players from adjacent industries and academia. It is a step towards a long-term European investment in future wireless network technology.
Japan
In Japan, the discussion on 6G began in early 2020. NTT Docomo’s White Paper released in January 2020, titled “5G Evolution and 6G,” reads that “considerations for 6G, require us to investigate 6G use cases, technological evolution, society, and the worldview in the 2030s when 6G will be introduced.”
In June, the strategic proposal for 6G R&D has been summarized by the “Beyond 5G Promoting Strategy” report by the Ministry of International Affairs and Communications. According to news reports, the government will earmark ¥50 billion to promote research and development on 6G advanced wireless communications services.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is a United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies has a focus group looking into networks for the year 2030, and beyond. While it is unclear what 6G will entail, the journey towards it has begun.
Disclaimer: The report has been carefully prepared, and any exclusions or errors in it are totally unintentional. The author has no position in any stocks mentioned. Investors should consider the above information not as a de facto recommendation, but as an idea for further consideration.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Prableen Bajpai
Prableen Bajpai is the founder of FinFix Research and Analytics which is an all women financial research and wealth management firm. She holds a bachelor (honours) and master’s degree in economics with a major in econometrics and macroeconomics. Prableen is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA, ICFAI) and a CFP®.
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