Huawei logo on a building. Image: _fla/Depositphotos
Samsung and LG both launched research into 6G earlier this year, but now Huawei is getting in on the action.
Earlier this week (13 August) The Logic reported that Huawei has already launched research into 6G – the next generation of wireless technology that will eventually supersede 5G.
It was reported that the forward-looking research is being conducted in Huawei’s primary research centre in Ottawa, Canada, with the Chinese company working with more than 13 universities and research institutes on the project.
The technology aims to improve on the weaknesses and limitations of 5G, such as the cost, that have emerged during its slow and steady roll-out. Despite plenty of recent advancements, 5G is not expected to be a widely used mainstream technology for another year or two.
While Huawei is facing a crackdown in the US, Canada has yet to declare whether or not telecommunications firms will be allowed to use Huawei’s equipment in the country’s 5G networks, but the Canadian federal government will make a decision by the end of autumn.
When it comes to 6G, Huawei isn’t the first firm to start preparing, although this technology isn’t expected to become a reality until 2030 at the very least.
6G research race
In April of this year, Finland’s University of Oulu launched an eight-year research programme called 6Genesis, which conceptualises what 6G will look like and what it will be capable of facilitating.
Meanwhile, in June, researchers at Virginia Tech also began researching the subject of 6G, suggesting that the 5G system that will be widely available in five years’ time will be the “first step toward a fully fledged 6G”.
Outside of academia, some of Huawei’s competitors have also got the ball rolling, including Samsung. In June, the company announced that its Advanced Communications Research Centre in Seoul was expanded to lead research on the 6G network.
Back in January 2019, LG opened a 6G research centre within the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to embark on an R&D plan for 6G, with hopes of leading the future market.
Chief technology officer of LG said the company will “enhance research on telecom network technologies to be able to lead global standardisations for the sixth-generation network”.
Huawei logo on a building. Image: _fla/Depositphotos
