2023-04-30 10:00:24
Last week, the head of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Jessica Rosenvorsel, said that “6G mobile networks may appear earlier than you might think.” The announcement came just days after a meeting between White House officials and US telecommunications companies and experts to discuss the development and deployment of 6G networks in the US. Some experts, however, believe that in the development of 6G networks, China and the EU could move ahead of the United States, and South Korea has already announced the launch of new networks in 2028.
America, Europe
According to the head of the FCC, the US authorities will try to learn the lessons learned from the deployment of the previous fifth generation (5G) networks when working on the next networks. The commission has already decided on the optimal spectrum of frequencies on which 6G networks will operate in the United States, and is now preparing to begin consultations with companies and relevant organizations on the development of technical solutions. The Biden administration emphasizes the priority nature of the development of modern telecommunications infrastructure in the country, including sixth generation networks.
The main difference between 6G and 5G networks is data transfer speed. If in 5G networks it ranges from 1 Gb / s to 10 Gb / s, which is 30 times higher than in 4G networks (up to 300 Mb / s), then in 6G networks data can be transmitted 100 times faster – from 1 Tb /sec.
This speed will be achieved, among other things, due to higher frequencies: if for 5G it is 3.4-3.8 GHz, then in 6G it is a spectrum from 30 GHz to 3000 GHz.
In Russia, the development of 6G may begin bypassing the 5G stage. Last summer it became known that Skoltech and FGBU NIIR could receive more than 30 billion rubles by 2025. for research on the new 6G communication standard. Funds are needed for the development of equipment prototypes and research on electromagnetic compatibility and safety of subscribers. Rostec told Kommersant that “the development of the sixth generation mobile communication standard (6G / NET2030) is at an early stage, now the expectations from the standard are outlined.”
Meanwhile, last week the leading Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica announced its entry into the European EU project for the development of sixth generation networks called ENABLE-6G. In addition to Telefonica, the IMDEA Networks Institute of Madrid, the Japanese technology corporation NEC and the international research and consulting organization BluSpecs, specializing in areas such as the Internet of Things, cloud technologies, digital infrastructure and the like, are participating in this project. The project participants will focus on creating and testing new data transfer protocols, issues of data protection and security, accuracy and speed of information transfer.
Telefonica is also participating in another European 6G development project, Hexa-X-II, which includes companies such as Telecom Italia, Orange, Nokia and Ericsson. This project is being implemented by a special working group Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), consisting of representatives and experts from the European Commission and telecommunications companies from the 6G Industry Association (Ericsson, Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Qualcomm, Intel, Siemens, Sony, Vodafone, Turkcell and others).
Back in December last year, the European Commission announced the start of the second stage of the pan-European Program for the research and development of sixth generation networks in the EU. During it (it will cover 2023-2024), the SNS JU working group will conduct equipment tests, pilot data transmission and evaluate the use of the new format not only for mobile communications, the Internet and multimedia, but also for industries such as transport, medicine, agriculture economy. It is reported that the EU will allocate about €132 million for these studies and tests.
The next stage should be the period from 2025 to 2027, when it is planned to introduce Pre-6G test networks. From 2028, the introduction of full-fledged 6G networks should begin.
It is reported that from 2021 to 2027, the EU will allocate a total of €900 million for research, development and implementation of 6G networks within the SNS JU working group. hardware and software developers participating in the EU 6G development program.
6G rises from the east
In March, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) released an analytical report that China was overtaking the US in a range of critical technologies, including 6G. Out of 44 key areas, China leads in 37, according to Australian researchers. For example, out of ten critical AI technologies, China dominates in seven.
In 5G and 6G, China’s lead in 5G and 6G has been described by ASPI as “high-risk”, implying that it will take some time for the US to catch up with China in this area, and that it is in China that most of the research facilities in this area are located.
According to ASPI estimates, it is Chinese scientists and developers who have released the most significant works in the field of new methods of wireless data transmission in recent years – 29.7% of the total. The second place by a wide margin is occupied by researchers from the USA – 9.5%, the third – the UK with 5.2%. In the field of advanced technologies for data transmission using optical channels, China leads with a share of 37.7%, and the United States is in second place with a share of 12.8%.
It is not surprising that recently it is Chinese companies that have been making statements that suggest a very high level of readiness for the implementation of sixth generation networks. In early March, China Unicom, the third largest mobile operator in China, announced that by 2025 it plans to complete technical research and begin work on launching beta versions of the first applications for 6G networks. And while the official Chinese authorities say that the deployment of sixth generation networks in the country is scheduled only from 2030, China Unicom plans to develop the “first components” of the architecture as early as 2025.
Another Chinese company, Huawei, prefers to be more cautious when talking about “the development of 5.5G networks.” At the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona in February-March of this year, the company actually presented a roadmap for the practical deployment of 5.5G networks, calling it an already accomplished trend. Huawei Senior Vice President Yang Chaobin said in Barcelona, ”While 6G is still in the early stages of research, 5.5G has already become a natural evolution of 5G networks.”
The top manager believes that companies already need to reach an agreement on standardization in the field of 5.5G, including spectrums, equipment standards and applications.
While experts are figuring out who is leading the 6G technology race – the US, the EU or China, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of South Korea at the end of February announced plans to launch a commercial 6G network in the country as early as 2028. According to media sources, this will happen two years earlier than planned. It is reported that local technological corporations Samsung and LG, which have recently been at the forefront of the development of networks of the previous, fifth generation, will play an active role in the development and implementation of new generation networks and devices. As you know, Samsung launched the first smartphone for such networks – Galaxy S10 5G – back in 2019. And it was South Korea in April 2019 that became the first country in the world where a 5G network was launched at the national level.
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