Telecommunications engineers from the China University of Posts and Telecommunications have established a field test network that can achieve 6G transmission capacity on existing 4G infrastructure. The team presented initial findings on the test network's performance at a conference held in Beijing on July 10.

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A visitor looks at a display of the latest 5G and 6G technologies during the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai in June. Photo: China Daily

The network uses a technique called “semantic communication,” which improves key communication metrics by a factor of 10, including capacity, coverage, and efficiency.

According to Xinhua, the network serves as a platform for institutes to conduct theoretical research and initial verification of key 6G technologies.

As the “world’s first” 6G field test network, it lowers the barrier to entry for 6G research, making it more accessible and promoting innovation, according to the research team. The network deeply integrates communications and AI, which is a “key direction” in the development of communications technology.

Professor Zhang Ping, who led the research team, said the integration of the two technologies will accelerate the formation of new business forms in the digital economy. According to the professor, AI improves perception and semantic understanding of communication, while 6G will expand the reach of AI to every corner of all fields.

China aims to commercialize 6G by 2030 and plans to set standards for the technology by 2025, according to Wang Zhiqin, head of China's 6G promotion team.

China started testing 6G technology in 2022 and successfully completed research on 6G system architecture and technical solutions in 2023. All of these laid the foundation for the next step of the new mobile network.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced that the country has allocated the 6GHz band for 5G and 6G networks due to its advantages in coverage and capacity.

In 2023, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approved the 6G vision framework – a foundational document for global 6G development, which includes six major use scenarios. Chinese carriers are also in the race. For example, China Unicom is exploring potential technologies for 6G. According to Chairman Liu Liehong, the company plans to complete technical research and explore early use scenarios of 6G by 2025. The company plans to promote cooperation among the industry, the academic community, and research institutes.

Meanwhile, Gao Tongqing, Deputy General Manager of China Mobile, said that this is a critical time to identify key 6G technologies. The operator has launched a public 6G test verification platform, providing a scenario-based R&D and testing environment for industry partners, supporting the verification of new application and business scenarios, and lowering the barrier to research on key 6G technologies.

(According to Xinhua News Agency, China Daily)