Text: Huang Haifeng's correspondence life.
Recently, experts from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology said that China will accelerate the research and development and innovation of 6G technology and achieve commercial use around 2030. As soon as the news came out, 6G quickly became the focus of everyone's conversation.
What is 6G, and which "G" is more than 5G?What is the current status of 6G development?I haven't used 5G yet, why is my country in a hurry to push 6G?Did these questions pop up all at once?
Don't worry, I will answer these questions for you one by one. Next, please sit tight and hold on, and we will start the journey of 6G exploration immediately.
What is 6G and what is stronger than 5G?
6G is the abbreviation of the sixth-generation mobile communication standard, which is the future replacement of 5G. Wang Zhiqin, head of China's 6G promotion team and vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, recently introduced to ** that 6G technology is actually a new technology for 5G intergenerational update.
What is the strength of 6G compared to 5G?As we all know, communication technology is a generation every decade. From 1G to 5G, the emergence of each generation of communication technology can bring new applications and new experiences to consumers. Of course, 6G is no exception.
Next, I will sort out the performance, services and other information of 1G to 6G communication technology for you, so that you can more intuitively feel the changes brought about by this generational iteration.
What is the strength of 6G over 5G?First, extreme connectivity. The biggest feature of 6G technology is high speed, with peak network speeds of up to 100Gbps, and the next HD movie is a matter of moments. 6G can also bring lower latency, which can reach 1 millisecond.
6G applies new technologies, such as air interface transmission, PMR (Pulse Motion Recognition), and wireless positioning, to bring consumers a wider range of connectivity needs.
6G technology will bring higher quality audio, ** and images, support 3D** technology, realize applications such as physical interaction, virtual headband technology, as well as ultra-high-definition (UHD) and ultra-large capacity (10Tbps) transmission. For example, holographic communication and the game experience in "Head Player" can be realized.
Second, synaesthesia is integrated. 6G will make use of the electromagnetic wave characteristics of high-frequency bands such as millimeter wave and terahertz to realize wireless sensing functions, which can accurately measure, identify, locate and image the physical environment, and bring network services that form an integrated synaesthesia.
Third, native intelligence. 6G will use artificial intelligence technology to realize independent Xi learning, adaptive adjustment, and autonomous decision-making of the network, dynamically optimize network resource allocation, link selection, and spectrum utilization according to user needs and scenario changes, and provide personalized and intelligent services.
Fourth, the fusion of stars and ground. 6G will use satellite communication technology to combine with terrestrial networks to achieve an integrated air-space-ground network with seamless global coverage.
Fifth, protect privacy. The 6G network uses more advanced encryption technology and blockchain technology, which can better maintain the security of personal information and protect personal privacy.
What is the current status of 6G development?
At this time, do you can't wait to understand the current status of 6G development?In March 2022, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) officially launched the 6G study and clarified the work plan for 6G international standards.
In June 2022, ITU released a report on international mobile communication technology trends for 2030 and the future, which pointed out that the key enabling technologies for future mobile communications will include enhanced wireless space technology (such as ultra-large-scale antennas, new modulation coding technology and multiple access technology, etc.), perception and communication fusion, artificial intelligence and communication integration, new dimensional wireless communication (such as intelligent metasurfaces, etc.), High-band (such as terahertz) communication and new wireless network architectures, the overall technical framework of 6G has gradually taken shape.
In June 2023, the ITU completed the IMT Framework and Overarching Objectives Recommendation for 2030 and Beyond, which clarified the 6G development goals, typical scenarios, and capability indicators.
The United States, Europe and the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries are actively promoting 6G. For example, in 2020, the United States led the Telecom Industry Solutions Alliance to form the Next G AllianceIn 2020, the European Union launched the 2021-2027 research funding framework "European Horizon" to carry out research on six key technologies, including next-generation mobile communication networksIn 2023, South Korea announced its "K-Network 2030" strategy, which brought forward the 6G commercialization project, which was originally planned to start in 2026, to 2024.
How is China progressing in the development of 6G?As early as June 2019, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, guided the industry to establish the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group.
In March 2021, China successively issued the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035", the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of the Information and Communication Industry, the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of the Digital Economy, and the "14th Five-Year Plan" for National Informatization.
In 2022, the 6G Promotion Group will launch 6G technology trials to test three key wireless technologies of terahertz communication, communication and perception integration, and intelligent metasurface, as well as two key network technologies of computing power network and distributed autonomous network. In November of the same year, the 6G Promotion Group launched a global solicitation of key technologies for 6G and carried out the collection of potential key technologies for 6G.
On December 5, China's 6G promotion group released relevant technical solutions.
At present, operators such as China Mobile and China Telecom, system equipment manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE, terminal manufacturers such as UNISOC and Honor, IT companies such as Tencent and Ruijie, and universities such as Tsinghua University are actively deploying 6G. For example, ZTE said on the investor interactive platform that satellite Internet is the main component of the 6G space-ground integrated network, and ZTE actively works closely with domestic operators to continuously invest in this direction.
Huawei started 6G pre-research in 2017 and officially launched the 6G R&D project in 2019. Huawei's research focus on 6G includes terahertz communication, space-air-ground integrated networking, and communication and sensing convergence.
In November this year, Wang Jun, Huawei's chief scientist for 6G, publicly stated that Huawei's satellite network based on regenerative satellites has completed on-orbit measurement and verification, with a maximum spectral efficiency of 421bps Hz, satellite-to-ground link throughput up to 660Mbps.
Why is there a hurry to develop 6G?
Some people may wonder, 5G has only been commercialized for a few years, and I haven't even experienced 5G yet, so is it too early to develop 6G?In my opinion, it is the right time to deploy 6G at this time.
First of all, the research and development of communication technology has always been earlier than commercial use, and only the layout can be in the lead. Taking 5G technology as an example, China started 5G research in 2013, and finally took the lead in the 5G era. For example, 6G air-space integrated communication requires the deployment of satellites in advance, and technology patents also need to be reserved in advance.
Wang Zhiqin also recently said to ** that after 5G, now talking about speed improvement, in fact, everyone will think that there is no such need. In the future, the objects of 6G services will be more at the level of social management and social governance, and more will be biased towards intelligent agents.
Secondly, the 6G market space is huge, and it needs to be laid out in advance. According to Market Research Future, the global 6G market will exceed $340 billion in 2040, and China will be one of the largest 6G markets in the world.
Finally, we need to cultivate the 6G application ecosystem in advance and work together to promote the prosperity of 6G. Zhang Yunming, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at the 2023 Global 6G Development Conference that it is necessary to cultivate the 6G application ecosystem in advance. Accelerate the integration and development of 5G, XR, digital twins, robotics and other new industries and applications, accelerate the maturity of related industries, and consolidate the foundation for 6G applications. Promote close communication and collaboration between information and communication enterprises and enterprises in vertical industries, and jointly participate in all aspects of the whole process such as 6G demand research, technology research and development, and standard formulation, and work together to build a prosperous 6G application ecosystem.
Xiao Xu, director of the Capital Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association, told the reporter that the industrial chain has entered the state of 6G ecological cultivation ahead of time, which will lay the foundation for 6G commercialization. At present, all parties are still in the exploratory stage of 6G deployment, and some underlying technologies have yet to be tested and improved, and enterprises also need to refine solutions around physical scenarios.
Comments: Layout in advance to maintain the advantage
All things are foreseen, and those who are not prepared are wasted. China can take the lead in the 5G era by laying out the layout in advance in the development of 5G. In the face of the 6G era, China should also continue to maintain the rhythm of advance layout in order to maintain this advantage.
Although China is still exploring 6G deployment, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposing to accelerate the R&D and innovation of 6G technology, it will promote the advanced development of relevant infrastructure and ecological cultivation to accelerate the development of 6G in China.