5G is barely ready and yet China already has a plan to develop 6G systems.
The country expects to formally begin research and development works for the sixth generation wireless systems in 2020, state media Securities Times reportedthis week. It cited Su Xin, leader of a 5G wireless technology working group at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The country expects to roll out 6G services commercially by 2030, according to Su, with conceptual research having begun this year.
6G could reportedly offer transmission speeds over 10 times faster than 5G, and theoretically, download speeds could reach 1TB per second, according to Su. 6G could also bring "revolutionary changes" to wired and wireless network structures by extending services to broader areas and higher altitudes, connecting devices more efficiently.
China isn't alone in exploring 6G. The US, Russia and the EU have also begun conceptual design and research for the systems, according to the publication, and Charter Communications said in February that it's testing 6G services.
