Japanese carriers NTT DoCoMo and NTT have launched 6G trials with OEMs Fujitsu, NEC and Nokia with the hope that the first commercial services will be available by 2030.
While most carriers have only scratched the surface when it comes to 5G, the mobile industry's attention has already turned to the next generation of networks.
It is still too early to predict what final form the 6G standard will take and what technologies will be included, there are plausible assumptions about its capabilities and the challenges facing operators, manufacturers and researchers.
Japanese 6G
NTT expects 6G to deliver huge advancements in speed, capacity and low latency through the use of the sub-terahertz (THz) spectrum, which will extend the reach of mobile communications to the sea and the sky.
The initial focus of its work with equipment providers will be to maximize the potential of this spectrum and how AI-based wireless transmission methods can provide the required performance reliability.
“6G studies are two to three years ahead of 5G studies,” said Naoki Tan. “From this early stage, we would like to collaborate with leading global vendors to proactively demonstrate innovative concepts and technologies and promote them to the world. ”.
Indoor testing will begin before the end of March 2023 and results will be shared with research groups, conferences and global standards bodies.
If the most ambitious goals are achieved, 6G will provide 100 times the capacity of 5G and will be able to support 10 million devices per square kilometer.
The signals would extend 10.000 meters above the surface, allowing "3D coverage" in the sky, space and underwater. All of these capabilities would enable intelligent detection, positioning, edge computing, and high-definition imaging.
The development and deployment of 6G is seen as a "trillion dollar opportunity" (opens in a new tab) for the mobile industry, while technical leadership is increasingly a political priority for many governments around the world. .
Research efforts are underway in Europe, China, Japan and North America (opens in a new tab) with the goal of becoming a leader not only in the development of 5G applications and services, but also in technologies that will set global standards .