Advertisement

China to introduce early 6G mobile applications by 2025, putting the country on track to rolling out commercial services by 2030

  • China Unicom expects to complete technical research and launch early 6G ‘application scenarios’ on the mainland by 2025
  • The commercial roll-out of 6G mobile services in the country is expected to start from 2030, according to China Unicom chairman Liu Liehong

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
31
The mainland’s three major telecommunications network operators – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom – are expected to start commercial 6G mobile services from 2030. Photo: Shutterstock
Ben Jiangin BeijingandBien Perezin Hong Kong
China Unicom, the country’s third-largest wireless network operator, expects to complete technical research and launch early applications for 6G technology by 2025, boosting hopes of rolling out the next-generation mobile technology by the dawn of the next decade.
Advertisement
That timeline was revealed by China Unicom chairman and chief executive Liu Liehong, 55, on the sidelines of the China Development Forum (CDF), a two-day conference that opened on Saturday and regarded as Beijing’s answer to the World Economic Forum’s annual summit in Davos, Switzerland.
Liu said early 6G “application scenarios” will be introduced by 2025 in China, home to the world’s largest internet user population and biggest smartphone market, which has been conducting research and development on the technology since 2019. He said the commercial launch of 6G in China is expected to start from 2030, according to a report by local media National Business Daily.
At the same event, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong said in his speech that China was leading the pace of 6G research and development worldwide. He said the country is already ahead in rolling out 5G mobile networks and applications.
China Unicom chairman and chief executive Liu Liehong. Photo: CCTV
China Unicom chairman and chief executive Liu Liehong. Photo: CCTV

The statements made at the CDF about China’s 6G efforts have come after the Global 6G Conference, held from March 22 to 24 in Nanjing, where telecommunications industry experts reached a consensus that 6G mobile services in the country will start to roll out by early 2030.

Advertisement
Advertisement