China Announces World's First 6G Field Test Network Underway

Chinese media outlet China Daily has reported that a team of telecom engineers from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications claims to have established the world’s first field test network for 6G communication and intelligent integration.

While 6G has not yet been standardised, the network reportedly shows significant improvements in key communication metrics such as capacity, coverage, and efficiency. The experimental network has also demonstrated that semantic communication can achieve the transmission capabilities of future 6G systems using existing 4G network infrastructure.

The network serves as a platform for research institutions to conduct theoretical research and initial verification of candidate 6G technologies. The team noted that it can effectively lower the entry threshold for 6G research.

China aims to commercialise 6G technology by 2030, with standard-setting expected around 2025, according to Wang Zhiqin, head of China’s 6G promotion team and vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. Wang noted that China began 6G technological experiments last year and has been researching 6G system architecture and technical solutions.

“In terms of 6G development, all nations are at the early stage of technological research and have not yet formed a unified standard in 6G network building and key technology,” Wang said.

He highlighted that 6G-related research has opened new application scenarios, including combining communication with sensitivity, artificial intelligence, and mass Internet of things based on integrated satellites and terrestrial mobile communication.

Last year, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) allocated spectrum in the 6 GHz frequency band for 5G and 6G services. The ministry noted that the 6 GHz range is suitable for future deployment of 5G or 6G systems due to its coverage and capacity advantages. The allocation of the 6 GHz band at this time is “conducive to stabilising the expectations of the 5G/6G industry.”