Six-Generation Mobile Communication: Development Trend and Outlook

Abstract

The sixth-generation mobile communications (6G) will usher in a new era of information technology that is characterized by “intelligence empowering all things and wisdom being self-generated”. Simultaneously, corresponding technological research has become a new trend in the mobile communication industry. In the context of large-scale commercialization of the fifth-generation mobile communications (5G) in China, it is of great significance to clarify the development needs, understand the development trend, and propose the development layout of 6G for accelerating the development of the digital economy and seizing the international competitive advantage in the future. This study summarizes the problems of 5G development that still need to be addressed by 6G, including insufficient application depth, inadequate demand coverage, and low return on investment. It points out some key application scenarios that urgently need 6G empowerment, and comprehensively reviews the strategic deployment of 6G in developed and major developing countries, clarifying major trends such as optimizing and upgrading traditional industries through 6G commercialization, achieving major breakthroughs in 6G key core technologies, and strengthening 6G network security to modernize the national security system. Currently, China’s development of 6G faces prominent challenges regarding research and development investment,technology standards, open ecology, network security, and privacy protection. Therefore, it is necessary to use the new national system to break through technological innovation barriers, enhance the formulation of 6G standards, deepen international cooperation on 6G to build an open and win-win global industrial ecosystem, and develop core 6G technologies to establish a secure and controllable technical system. This study is expected to provide theoretical inspirations and practical references for the development and innovative application of 6G technology in China.

Keywords

• 6G
• key technology
• communications standard
• network security
• digital economy