Engineers from the Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications have made a significant advancement in telecommunications by establishing a field test network capable of 6G transmission using existing 4G infrastructure, Xinhua news agency reported following a conference in the Chinese capital.

The experimental network employs a novel technique known as semantic communication, reportedly achieving a tenfold enhancement in crucial communication metrics, including capacity, coverage, and efficiency.

Xinhua has described this 6G field test network as a “world first,” suggesting that it could effectively lower the barriers to 6G research, thereby accelerating the verification of essential 6G technologies.

The research team leader, Professor Zhang Ping, emphasised the transformative potential of this integration. “AI will improve the perception and semantic understanding of communication, while the ubiquitous communication of 6G will extend the reach of artificial intelligence across various fields,” he stated during the conference.

The commercial availability of 6G internet services is anticipated around 2030, with ongoing efforts to finalise 6G standards potentially concluding by the end of this decade. 6G networks are projected to utilize higher frequencies than current 5G networks, offering significantly higher capacity and reduced latency.

Several countries are competing to develop the next generation of communication technology. China plans to launch its first 6G services by 2030, with standards expected to be established as early as next year. Japan, in collaboration with companies like NTT Docomo and Sony, aims to develop key 6G technologies by 2025, with “beyond 5G” services slated for 2030.

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In the United States, a coalition of nine other countries has outlined six guiding principles for 6G wireless networks, focusing on national security, efficient spectrum use, and privacy protection.