David Immel / Android Authority
You may be surprised to hear that the telecommunications industry has already started working on the next generation mobile network, 6G. In fact, 5G isn’t here for all of us yet, but we’re starting to learn about the next big leap that could unlock new use cases for smartphones. Although it will ultimately take several years for 6G to become a global standard, companies like Apple, Samsung, and AT&T are already investing significant resources in research and development.
So in this article, let’s take a closer look at 6G mobile networks, how they differ from 5G, and what improvements they bring.
What is 6G?
6G stands for 6th generation mobile network and is the eventual successor to the current generation 5G standard that has just become popular with most people. Like previous generations of mobile networks, 6G is expected to deliver faster speeds and lower latency. His early 6G tests yielded download speeds of over 200 gigabits per second, albeit under controlled laboratory conditions. Even if individual smartphones can’t achieve such speeds, they can help ease congestion in crowded places like sports stadiums and concerts.
Commercial launch of 6G is expected in the late 2020s or even the early 2030s. However, dozens of telecom and telecom companies have already expressed interest in developing and shaping 6G.
6G development is already well underway, even if it takes several years to release.
The development of new telecommunications standards has also become a matter of national interest and pride. In February 2024, China Mobile announced that it had “launched the world’s first satellite to test 6G architecture.” With Huawei and ZTE equipment banned in many Western countries, companies like Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and LG are all working to capture a piece of the eventual 6G market.
How does 6G work and how is it different from 5G?
Low frequency bands, which have been in use since the days of 2G and 3G, are becoming increasingly crowded, prompting an industry-wide move to higher frequencies. Just as 5G used new mid-band and millimeter wave frequencies, the upcoming 6G network will also lean more towards this trend.
In an ideal world, we would use higher frequencies to transmit all kinds of data, resulting in faster speeds and lower latency. But if you’ve ever used the 5GHz band on a Wi-Fi router, you know that higher frequencies can’t penetrate obstacles like walls and trees, so the range is shorter. In particular, 5G already uses significantly higher frequencies than the average Wi-Fi router, so mild atmospheric conditions can affect signal quality.
6G proposes a move to higher frequency bands, such as sub-terahertz (THz) and hundreds of GHz ranges. For reference, the mmWave 5G band occupies the frequency range of 24-40 GHz. As a side note, only a handful of premium smartphones support these higher 5G frequencies.
6G leverages previously unused terahertz spectrum to deliver faster speeds.
In September 2023, LG announced that it had successfully transmitted data over 500 meters using terahertz frequencies. The company did not disclose the speeds recorded, but confirmed that the tests were conducted in the 155-175GHz range. When it comes to coverage challenges, the South Korean electronics company is collaborating with the Fraunhofer-Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) in Berlin to develop “a power amplifier that can increase the transmission strength and a receiver that can improve the quality of the received signal. We have developed a low noise amplifier for the machine.
Hundreds of gigabytes per second from terahertz frequencies may sound impressive, but anyone following the current global rollout of 5G knows that mid-band frequencies also offer significant benefits. Sho.
To that end, 6G is expected to utilize the 7-20 GHz range, exceeding the current 5G sub-6GHz frequencies. The 3-5 GHz spectrum has almost single-handedly increased average download speeds in the U.S. since 2021, so even as frequencies move higher, 6G will revolutionize everyday devices like smartphones. There is a possibility.
Why do we need 6G and when will it be released?
Under the right circumstances, real-world 5G speeds could already approach and exceed the elusive threshold of 1 Gbps, especially when connected to mmWave networks. This raises an important question: Why do we need it to go any faster? The simple truth is that no one knows, but carriers will be able to take advantage of new advancements and technologies that allow them to take advantage of higher speeds and lower latency. I’m trying to stay one step ahead.
Take, for example, the legitimacy of 6G by research firm Nokia Bell Labs. They claim:
While smartphones will remain the dominant device in the 6G era, new man-machine interfaces will make accessing and controlling information more convenient. Touchscreen typing will gradually be replaced by gestures and voice control. Devices can be embedded in clothing or even turned into skin patches. Healthcare will benefit significantly as wearables will facilitate his 24/7 monitoring of critical parameters.
It’s hard to imagine such futuristic interfaces existing or utilizing 6G within the next decade. Nevertheless, the development of 6G will help pave the way for 6G and reduce the cost of high-speed communications by the time such devices are ready to be deployed.
