Although the United States has not yet completed the full deployment of 5G, and the penetration rate of 5G in the United States is very limited, Washington has begun to set its sights on 6G...

Senior officials in the Biden administration hosted an event hosted by the National Science Foundation on Friday to begin government planning for the upcoming sixth-generation mobile wireless communications technology (6G).

Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of commerce and director of the National Telecommunications and Information Service, said in remarks on Friday, "It may seem strange to talk about 5G at a time when so many Americans and people around the world are still learning about 6G and its implications." But we know from past experience that we need to plan ahead. ”

The White House is now looking to learn from the lag of previous 5G competitions, understand the importance of early engagement and resilience, and apply it to developing a 6G network that "optimizes performance, accessibility and security."

Numerous members of the U.S. Congress, business leaders, academics and other stakeholders in the field attended Friday's meeting. While it remains to be seen how 6G technology will evolve, experts are already making far-reaching predictions about the coming era of ubiquitous connectivity.

Tom Wheeler, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said in an interview with US media, "6G is not just 5G-plus, the convenience brought by 6G is not just better use of your smartphone, we need to consider this in this higher dimension." ”

Members of Congress attending Friday's meeting included Senator Ben Ray Luján and Rep. Doris Matsui. Luján tweeted that his focus is to "make sure the new technology is available in every zip code."

Over the past few years, an industry consortium called the Next-G Alliance has begun coordinating private sector efforts to develop 6G standards in the U.S., formed to advance U.S. leadership in 6G and future mobile technologies, involving major U.S. telecommunications companies such as Verizon Communications, AT&T, and T-mobile, with a focus on R&D, manufacturing, standardization and market readiness.

Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala, who is also part of the alliance, predicted last year that 6G could be deployed after 2025.

"Grabbing the track" with China

In fact, the US Congress has previously maintained a high degree of attention to the development of 6G wireless communication technology.

Rep. Frank Pallone noted, "Just because our country leads the world in providing consumers with 4G wireless technology and Wi-Fi access doesn't mean we'll achieve the same results with 5G, 6G, or Wi-Fi 7." ”

According to local media, the Biden administration's 6G plan aims to re-establish the leadership of the United States and its allies in the telecommunications sector; China has made progress in this regard, thanks in part to careful cultivation of homegrown equipment manufacturing and greater participation in international standard-setting.

The use of 6G technology may have other far-reaching implications, including allowing the ubiquitous use of AI technology in people's daily lives, and enhancing Internet access in regions where communication services are weaker through faster and farther data transmission.

Wheeler served as chairman of the FCC during the Obama administration and is now a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution. He has publicly criticized the Trump administration's approach to 5G and has been obsessed with China's development and advantages in 5G technology. He said that the sooner the Biden administration demonstrates concrete action in the 6G field, the better the effect.

At present, China is also developing 6G technology on a down-to-earth basis. As early as November 2019, China established the National 11G Technology R&D Promotion Working Group and the Overall Expert Group, marking the official launch of China's 6G technology R&D work.

Last Thursday (April 4), Zhao Zhiguo, spokesman of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, also said at a press conference that in the next step, we will focus on three aspects of work, improve and strengthen the information and communication industry, and provide solid support for promoting high-quality economic and social development. The first is to consolidate the foundation of digital facilities; The second is to accelerate innovation in the technology industry. Promote the acceleration of breakthroughs in key core technologies such as 20G, optical communication, and quantum communication; The third is to deepen the integration and application of the industry.

Cai Lian News