In May 2021, TeleGeography reviewed the early stages of development of 6G mobile technology. Three years on, we turn the spotlight back onto the nascent 6G market to see how things are shaping up.
Finnish equipment vendor Nokia provides a good 6G summary on its website:
With every generation of communications technology, the focus of the network changes. The 2G and 3G eras centered on human-to-human communication through voice and text. 4G heralded a fundamental shift to the massive consumption of data, while the 5G era has turned its focus on connecting the Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial automation systems.
In the 6G era, the digital, physical, and human world will seamlessly fuse to trigger extrasensory experiences. Intelligent knowledge systems will be combined with robust computation capabilities to make humans endlessly more efficient and redefine how we live, work, and take care of the planet.
The equipment manufacturer adds that it expects to have commercially available 6G systems by 2030, utilizing spectrum from low bands (460MHz-694MHz), mid bands (7GHz-20GHz), and sub-terahertz bands (92GHz-300GHz).
The sub-terahertz range will be important, as it offers extremely low latencies and will push download rates to terabits per second (Tbps) levels.
The sub-terahertz range will be important, as it offers extremely low latencies and will push download rates to terabits per second (Tbps) levels.
Meanwhile, some firms have been exploring even higher ranges. One example is Softbank of Japan which announced in June 2024 that it was researching the terahertz band up to 10THz as a possible 6G carrier.
In December 2023, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) committed to developing the specifications for 6G. While currently working on Release 18 and Release 19 of its specifications, which relate to 5G-Advanced technology, the body says it’s also necessary to begin preparations for 6G standardization, as it’s a multi-year process.
The ITU has designated 6G as IMT-2030, following on from 3G (IMT-2000), 4G (IMT Advanced), and 5G (IMT-2020). Between 2024 and 2026, the organization will carry out work on defining technical performance requirements and evaluation methodologies.
The ITU has designated 6G as IMT-2030, following on from 3G (IMT-2000), 4G (IMT Advanced), and 5G (IMT-2020). Between 2024 and 2026, the organization will carry out work on defining technical performance requirements and evaluation methodologies.
It then expects standards development to take place between 2027 and 2030, as part of which technology proposals will be submitted and evaluated.
The 6G Roadmap
The ITU is then looking to have a final set of 6G technology standards approved by 2030.
In February 2024, the governments of ten countries from around the world issued a joint statement on their shared principles for the development of 6G systems.
These principles include:
The first commercial 6G launches are currently expected in 2030. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is aiming to be a front-runner in that department.
Its communications watchdog, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), revealed in April this year that the country aims to launch 6G technology by 2030, although that date depends on the progress of standardization.
“This technology is expected to enhance the capabilities of robotics and elevate artificial intelligence. It holds the potential to revolutionize various domains, including autonomous intelligent transportation systems and transformative developments in healthcare, such as remote surgery and diagnostics.”
It has set up a committee that includes operators, manufacturers, and research establishments, stating: “This technology is expected to enhance the capabilities of robotics and elevate artificial intelligence. It holds the potential to revolutionize various domains, including autonomous intelligent transportation systems and transformative developments in healthcare, such as remote surgery and diagnostics.”
The watchdog also highlighted the need for “a global availability of additional radio frequencies.”
In July 2024, Singtel of Singapore and South Korean operator SK Telecom signed a memorandum of understanding that will see them collaborate on technologies including 6G and artificial intelligence (AI).
The areas of cooperation will include:
In the Netherlands, an industry consortium was awarded an initial subsidy of €61 million ($66 million) in July 2023 for 6G research and development.
The Future Network Services project, supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), has been selected as one of 18 schemes to receive backing under the third round of the Dutch National Growth Fund.
The six-year government funding consists of a conditional award of €61 million plus a reserve of €142 million.
The 6G FNS consortium is led by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and has 60 members, including academic institutions, telcos (including the country’s main mobile operators, KPN, Odido, and VodafoneZiggo), ICT companies, network vendors (including Nokia and Ericsson) and semiconductor manufacturers.