Bloomberg: China and the United States have already started a fierce competition to seize the high ground of 6G technology

While most parts of the world have yet to experience the convenience brought by 5G networks, the innovation of the next-generation telecommunications technology has begun to ferment, and the geopolitical competition it has triggered has become increasingly fierce.

According to a report by Bloomberg on February 9, the first company to obtain a 6G patent will be the biggest winner in the next communications technology revolution. Although it is estimated that 6G will take more than a decade to be put into practical use, the speed of 6G may be 100 times faster than the peak speed of 5G. Under the guidance of 6G technology, many scenes that can only be seen in science fiction novels can be realized, such as real-time holograms, flying taxis, and Internet connections between the human body and the brain.

Evolution from 5G to 6G (@Samsung Electronics Engineering Research Institute)

Although 6G technology is still only in theory at present, the competition to seize the high ground of 6G technology has already begun and has triggered a series of geopolitical issues.

“6G technology is so important that it’s become an arms race in some ways,” said Peter Vetter, head of equipment at Nokia Bell Labs. “It’s going to take a whole army of researchers to keep it competitive.”

Although Trump implemented many repressive measures against many Chinese high-tech companies during his administration, this did not prevent China from becoming the global leader in 5G. Huawei has won the favor of many communication operators with its high-quality and low-cost 5G technology. China is also the world's largest 5G market.

The development of 6G may provide the United States with an opportunity to regain the lost world of the past.

Progress of 6G technology research and development in China, the United States and Europe (@Bloomberg)

Vikrant Gandhi, senior industry director of information and communications technology at US consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, said: "Unlike the 5G competition, North America will not hand over 6G technology to others. Who will be the leader in 6G technology? The competition may be more intense than 5G."

Senior officials in Washington and Beijing are already planning for 6G, and Trump also tweeted about 6G technology last year.

Canadian media reported that the country launched a satellite in November to test whether the airwaves have potential 6G transmission capabilities. Huawei has a 6G research center in Canada. ZTE and China Unicom have also cooperated in relevant areas in Hong Kong.

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) launched the Next G Alliance in October last year to "expand North America's leadership in 6G." The alliance's members include high-tech companies such as Apple, AT&T, Qualcomm, Google and Samsung, but not Huawei.

The alliance in part reflects the geopolitical divisions caused by the competition for the high ground in communications technology.

The European Union also launched a 6G wireless project in December led by Nokia, which includes companies such as Ericsson AB, Telefonica SA and research teams from certain universities.

Research on terahertz waves closely related to 6G technology (@CB Insights)

Considering that 5G commercialization will only begin around 2019, Gandhi believes that 6G may not realize its potential until at least 15 years from now. Currently, only 100 wireless operators in the world provide 5G services in limited areas.

However, researchers are very enthusiastic about the next generation of network technology revolution and have a positive outlook. According to some laboratory tests, 6G is much faster than 5G and also guarantees a delay of 0.1 milliseconds, while 1 millisecond is the minimum delay that 5G can currently achieve. To achieve this goal, scientists are vigorously researching high-frequency millimeter waves and terahertz communications.

The evolution of application scenarios from 3G to 6G (@Bloomberg)

Bloomberg also believes that it is too early to say whether 6G can define the world. According to the 6G theory, everything in our environment will be connected to the 6G network, which will once again raise a series of issues related to scientific ethics, such as human health, privacy, and urban design.