An American telecoms industry association has called for immediate collaboration between government, academic institutions and industry do that the US can be a leader in 6G communications.
5G might still be in its infancy but the race to be a leader in the even more nascent field of 6G has already begun.
China has already started its research and development activities, while the €251 million 6Genesis programme is already well underway in Northern Finland.
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The race to 6G
The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) says that if the US wants to keep up and build on the momentum of 5G, then its own research efforts have to begin soon.
“While innovation can be triggered in reaction to current market needs, technology leadership at a national level requires an early commitment and development that addresses U.S. needs as well as a common vision and set of objectives,” said Susan Miller, president and CEO of ATIS.
The technologies that will eventually comprise 6G are some way off being defined, but the general consensus is that the standard will build on the capacity and latency improvements of 5G.
Leaders of the 6Genesis project told TechRadar Pro in 2018 that 6G would make greater use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), accelerate the architectural shifts that have taken place in the transition from 4G and deliver speeds of 1Tbps.
“Industry and government have started collaboration to create the 6G future, but this work must be amplified now to position the U.S. as the leader in telehealth, smart agriculture, distance learning, digitized commerce and artificial intelligence,” added Mike Nawrocki, head of technology and solutions at ATIS.
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