6G Global Status

USA: The Federal Communications Commission has adopted rules to clear spectrum in the 95 GHz to 3 THZ terahertz frequencies for experimental use to spur technological breakthroughs in communications and set the stage for 6G and beyond. The FCC will issue experimental licenses for up to 10 years and open 21.2 GHz of spectrum in that range for testing unlicensed devices.

The University of Oulu in Finland has announced an association with 6G Flagship to study the 6G space. The ITU-International Telecommunication Union has launched the Network 2030 focus group to look at the future of communications networks.

6G technologies would probably need some kind of new chip technology. The standard CMOS technology for chips today cannot be used in transmissions above 95GHz, and so some kind of innovation in the chip sector would need to happen first before commercial widespread use of 6G technologies above 95GHz.

ComSenTeris a new multi-university research effort in the US looking at the fundamentals of 6G.China’s government has announced it was intensifying work on 6G, with a goal of 2030. Huawei has started 6G network research in its research center at Ottawa, Canada and has started negotiations with researchers from a several universities in Canada. South Korea-LG announced the creation of a 6G research center in South Korea.