Nikkei English reported on September 16 that a latest survey showed that China accounted for 40% of 6G patent applications.
China is honing its technical capabilities in the sixth-generation communication network, and it is expected to be commercially launched in 2030 as soon as possible.
As the U.S. government under the leadership of former President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Huawei Technologies Co. Maintain its competitiveness.
The Nikkei News cooperated with Tokyo-based research company Cyber Creative Institute to investigate about 20,000 patent applications for 6G core technologies, including communications, quantum technology, base stations, and artificial intelligence.
China tops the list with 40.3% of 6G patent applications, followed by the United States with 35.2%. Japan ranked third with 9.9%, followed by Europe with 8.9% and South Korea with 4.2%. Countries with more patent applications tend to take the lead in advanced technology and have a greater say in industry standards.
The upcoming generation of mobile communication technology, said to be more than 10 times faster than 5G, is expected to achieve fully autonomous driving, high-definition virtual reality and global Internet connectivity, even in remote deserts.
Chinese patent applications are mostly related to mobile infrastructure technology. In the 6G era, air coverage, such as satellites, and ground base stations in a wider radio band will be required. Many of the latest patents are applications from Huawei, which controls 30% of the world's base stations in 2020. Other large Chinese patent holders include state-owned enterprises such as State Grid Corporation of China and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation .
Huawei holds the largest number of 5G patents, with a share close to 12%. This China Mobile communications giant is likely to have a great influence in the 6G field.
The company said,Despite the US ban, it will start its own 6G development and released a 5G advanced white paper in August.
In November last year, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China successfully launched the world's first 6G satellite. Experts once believed that the US ban would make it difficult for Chinese companies to build next-generation base stations or make cutting-edge smartphones. However, basic research led by the Chinese government has not lost momentum.
China not only regards next-generation communication technology as the priority of its " Made in China 2025 " initiative, but also provides financial assistance to countries in the construction of 5G networks in Africa and the Middle East.
"In addition to Huawei, other companies are also obtaining 6G patents, indicating that China's technological development is improving," said Takafumi Saito, director of the Network Creative Research Institute.
At the same time, the United States, which has many smart phones and Internet companies, has a high degree of technical strength in terminals and software. Qualcomm and Intel have obtained many chip patents for smart phones and other IT equipment.
In the United States, the Next G Alliance initiative, including , Google and Apple, has announced its vision for the 6G era, and the federal government also allows free use of test waves. When 6G is launched, communications will likely be combined with artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. Other US companies with 6G related patents include IBM and Microsoft .
As for Japan, which ranks third, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone has many patents related to optical communications and mobile infrastructure networks in urban areas, including technologies to alleviate data congestion and delays.
The United Nations agency International Telecommunication Union and industry groups are expected to start discussing 6G standardization issues around 2024. China, which has many related patents, has a strong voice in the organization and may have the upper hand in rulemaking.
Washington tried to slow down the development of China’s mobile communications products by imposing a de facto embargo on the sale of cutting-edge chips to Huawei.However, a senior ITU official stated that it is difficult to exclude China from discussions on the issue.
The United States and China are not the only countries vying for supremacy in the 6G field. In Europe, the Swedish telecommunications equipment manufacturer Ericsson and the University of Oulu in Finland have published 6G white papers. The European Union has played a key role in standardization, including the establishment of a research group by the European Telecommunications Standards Association. In South Korea, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have established 6G development centers, and the government is also subsidizing development work.
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