ISLAMABAD: China’s intensified move for the development of superfast wireless technology including 5G and 6G will further promote digital transformation and industrial upgrading in traditional sectors, providing new momentum for economic growth of the country, industry experts have stated.
They expressed that 5G technology has been widely associated with artificial intelligence and the internet of things, with a wide range of applications in fields such as online education, virtual reality games, smart logistics, and unmanned vehicles. They also stressed efforts to actively participate in formulating 6G-related international standards.
Their comments came amid the top industry regulator’s statement that China will expedite the construction of 5G networks, expand the application of 5G technology in several fields, especially in manufacturing, and promote the research and development of 6G technology.
“At present, China is at the global forefront of 5G technology. The country has built over 2.54 million 5G base stations, with over 575 million 5G smartphone users, said Jin Zhuanglong, Chinese minister of industry and information technology, adding Cthat hina would build 600,000 5G base stations in 2023.
Jin added that 5G has been applied in more than half of the major industrial sectors, including ports, mining, aviation, and electricity. According to China Daily, Jin called for efforts to expand the application of superfast wireless technology in more fields like manufacturing.
China Spending Trillions to Promote 5G, 6G Technology
According to a government think tank, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, the ccountryis likely to spend about 1.2 trillion yuan ($174.2 billion) on 5G network formation, which will drive over 3.5 trillion yuan of investment in the upstream and downstream industrial chain and relevent sectors by 2025.
The 5G industry is expected to directly produce more than 3 million jobs by 2025, with the aggregate information consumption brought by the commercialization of wireless technology exceeding 8.3 trillion yuan, the academy said.
Director General of the Information Consumption Alliance, Xiang Ligang said China has entered a significant period for 5G commercialization, along with the superfast wireless technology being utilized in a wide range of industries and scenarios, comprising video conferencing, online medical consultations, short videos, remote education, gaming, and live-streaming.
In addition, China has already managed to establish the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group, a flagship platform in the country promoting 6G and international cooperation, and would speed up the R&D of 6G technology, he further said.
6G a Next Generation Move
A white paper issued by the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group stated that as the next-generation mobile communication technology, 6G would integrate with advanced computing, big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
The report further said the world is expected to observe the commercialization of 6G near 2030, and the 6G network would realize the deep integration of the virtual and physical and build a new world featuring the intelligent connection of all and sundry.
Although there is no universally specific definition of 6G, the technology is likely to provide faster speeds, lower latency, and more bandwidth than 5G technology.
