Mobile communication 6G: Many concerns in Europe, while Asia takes the lead technologically

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6G could become a game-changer due to noticeably better performance compared to 5G. However, while Asian countries are already heavily working on the development of the technology, Europe seems to be lagging behind.

In Asia, the race for 6G is fully ignited. Several countries that were already leading in the development of 5G are now hoping to dominate the "sixth generation" of mobile telecommunications as well, especially South Korea, China, and Japan.

"The global race for 6G has begun and there is much at stake, as activities enabled by 5G and 6G are expected to generate an estimated three trillion euros in economic growth worldwide by 2030," according to a publication from the EU Parliament at the beginning of the year.

"Early 5G frontrunners in Asia such as South Korea, China, and Japan have begun to define their vision for 6G," wrote researchers in Strasbourg in their working paper for EU parliamentarians. The EU also needs such a "high-performance connectivity infrastructure" in the future, it is urged.

However, as with the last generation, governments and companies in Asia are again moving forward particularly decisively this time, trying to position themselves early with technical solutions and pilot projects.

The starting signal has been given

It is still unclear whether 6G will truly revolutionize mobile networks as we know them or whether it will be more of an "upgrade" of existing technologies. Most experts agree that 6G is expected to be available for commercial use in most developed countries around the year 2030. By 2040, the global 6G market is expected to be worth $340 billion, according to the market research company "Market Research Future."

There is also agreement that data transmission speeds will be significantly higher, likely up to 50 times higher than 5G. The latency, or the delay in sending and receiving information, could be reduced to one-tenth of the current standard. And the bandwidths will be much higher, which is relevant for future technologies such as AI or autonomous driving. All in all, 6G is supposed to be about a hundred times more powerful than 5G.

6G strategy in Korea and Japan

The government in South Korea is therefore trying to build on their country’s leadership in the early stages of 5G. In February 2023, the Ministry of Science and ICT in Seoul released their "K-Network Strategy," with the unapologetic goal of developing the "best 6G technology in the world." For this purpose, Seoul plans to invest about 625 billion Korean Won, which is approximately 440 million Euros, into research and development in this area.

Major corporations in the country, notably Samsung and LG, are heavily investing in 6G solutions. Together with the government, they have set the ambitious goal of starting the rollout of the new generation by 2026. This would be even three years earlier than in China.

In Japan, the government aims to support similar ambitions in the private sector with approximately 8.8 billion euros through a specially created development fund. Together with companies like NTT Docomo and Toshiba, bureaucrats in Tokyo are trying to drive development through a "Beyond 5G Consortium." Additionally, the government has promised to increase spending on basic research in this field.

Key technology for China

In China, they are already in the second year of the three-year "Action Plan for Industrial Innovation and the Metaverse," in which 6G is named as one of the key technologies. An "IMT-2030 (GG) Promotion Group" coordinates various pilot projects. China not only has a number of technology companies that are global leaders in the development and production of 5G technologies, such as Huawei and ZTE, but also probably the most determined support from the government.

In Beijing, there is a plan to promote "high-quality productive forces" such as AI or Big Data even more purposefully from now on, and in this context, it is recognized that 6G, as infrastructure, is as important as highways or high-speed train tracks are for the transportation sector. Therefore, in China, the development of this digital infrastructure is not left solely to private companies like Huawei.

For example, with the support of the state and party leadership in Beijing, the first research satellite for terahertz signal transmission has already been launched into low Earth orbit. While research and debate are still ongoing elsewhere, China has already begun concrete testing of a future 6G network.

The winner is still uncertain

It is not yet clear which Asian country will ultimately lead in the race for 6G. However, most observers are betting on the People's Republic of China. "Numerous countries are actively providing funds for R&D, hoping to be pioneers in this revolutionary technology. China is the frontrunner in this competition," judges the American expert portal TechSciResearch. The EU is also supporting the new technology through projects such as "Hexa-X-II" and "Horizon Europe." They are collaborating with Nokia, and an EU delegation even recently participated in a workshop in Taiwan, where potential cooperations with local companies and institutes were explored.

At the same time, nowhere is there as much debate about the new dangers of super-fast mobile communications as in the media and parliaments of Europe. European concerns about 6G range from cybersecurity issues to new dangers to personal data privacy and fears of new espionage attacks from China. Such framework debates about the security and ethics of 6G are important. Technologically, however, "Europe appears to be lagging behind and needs to do more if it does not want to lose this race for the future," judges the eunews portal in an analysis of the working paper from the EU Parliament. (sb)

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