5G is just starting to roll out around the world, but China is already working on the next iteration of Internet connectivity called 6G.
As reported by The Paper, Su Xin, head of the wireless technology working group at China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that China will start extensive 6G research this year. China started looking into 6G last March this year.
Su said that actual development of 6G will start in 2020 but commercial usage will begin only by 2030.
Experts say that it is commonplace for the industry to launch the research and development (R&D) of next-generation communication technology far in advance, because it takes at least 10 years for this technology to achieve commercial use.
1,000 Times Faster Than 5G
Mobile Internet speeds using 6G could theoretically reach 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) per second, which is about 1,000 times faster than premium services such as Google Fiber. With 6G, you could download 100 movies in only one second.
Su said that 6G will connect devices more efficiently than 5G and expand Internet coverage to more areas. “5G has three application scenarios: large bandwidth, low latency, and wide connection – I think 6G can achieve better application in all three scenarios,” Su added. “It may revolutionize the structure of the whole wired and wireless network.”
Still, 2030 is still a long way to go, so the applications for this kind of technology may be difficult to imagine. Industry insiders say that it’s still too early to talk about 6G, noting that 5G took 10 years to develop its set of standards and might take 10 more years to fulfill its promises.
The rapid adoption of 5G not only ushers in the era of blazingly fast mobile Internet, but also the ability to connect with machines such as Internet of things (IoT) devices. With several countries already talking about the next generation of Internet connectivity – 6G – it’s hard to imagine what its uses and applications would be. 6G could open the door for glorious possibilities in the field of artificial intelligence.
Aside from China, other countries looking into 6G concepts are the United States, Russia, and members of the European Union.
