The United States is developing a 6G wireless communication system with nine military allies, and has revealed its intention to apply its own standards to start a technological competition with China and narrow China’s opportunities. As Axios explained, “The battle to impact 6G standards is underway.”
While the United States may want to maintain its technological hegemony, such hegemonic thinking will only have a negative impact not only on its own 6G industry but also on the global 6G industry. After all, like most communications technologies, 6G is based on tens of thousands of patents developed by scientists and engineers around the world. According to IP solution provider LexisNexis, by July 2023, the number of his 5G patent families declared reached more than 60,000, more than double that of 4G. The number of 6G patents will continue to grow. China already exceeds the United States in the number of 6G-related patent applications.
If the US continues to be uncooperative with China on 6G, it will end up ignoring numerous patents from China and investing heavily in patent development to achieve similar functionality. . It’s like reinventing the wheel, a waste of time, energy, and valuable human intelligence.
In fact, the US has already taken a hostile stance in the 5G field and is paying a heavy price, including banning the sale of telecommunications equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in 2022. This is also slowing down the pace of 5G network construction. If you try to close the door even tighter instead of opening it wider, you will repeat the mistake.
In the field of 6G, China’s huge capabilities, backed by a large number of related patents, huge market size, and developed digital economy, make China a potential competitor to the United States. However, China has no intention of opposing any nation or organization. Instead, China is actively participating in international 6G cooperation.
