China initiates world's first integrated 6G test network

(ECNS) -- China has developed the world's first 6G field test network integrating communication and intelligence, demonstrating that existing 4G and 5G infrastructures can achieve 6G transmission capabilities.

Unveiled at an academic symposium held by the China Institute of Communications in Beijing on Wednesday, the breakthrough was made by a team led by Zhang Ping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications

Classical communication processes information in a "modular" manner, primarily relying on resource stacking to improve network performance, which leads to rapidly increasing network complexity as performance improves.

"Unlike classical communication, the new communication technologies can optimize in an 'end-to-end' manner with a simpler network structure to achieve significant overall performance improvements," said Xu Xiaodong, a professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and vice president of Zhongguancun Pan Connected Mobile Communication Technology Innovation and Application Research Institute.

Compared to 5G, 6G offers higher speeds, lower latency, and greater connection density, along with deep integration of communication, artificial intelligence, and intelligent sensing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will transform communication, and 6G will accelerate the development of AI. Zhang noted that AI will enhance communication's sensing capabilities and semantic understanding abilities. While 6G will extend the reach of AI into all fields. Their integration will expedite the formation of new digital economy paradigms, Zhang said.