China's first Pre-6G trial network was officially put into operation in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province recently. This Pre-6G trial network integrates multiple innovative technologies targeting the sixth-generation mobile communication based on the existing 5G network. It features high bandwidth, long-distance coverage, low-latency certainty, and native AI integration, achieving overall performance 10 times that of 5G.
Currently, this Pre-6G trial network covers the Nanjing Wireless Valley and its surrounding areas, and possesses key 6G capabilities such as coordinated seamless three-dimensional coverage for air-ground integration, ultra-connectivity, and convergence of communication, sensing, intelligence, computation, and control. The network is built with advanced technologies while maintaining backward compatibility with 5G. Systematic verification has been carried out in multiple fields including low-altitude inspection, industrial manufacturing, embodied intelligence, and holographic communication. It has been practically applied in demonstrations of typical scenarios such as drone swarms, low-altitude security, industrial wireless control, and connected embodied intelligence.
According to research and analysis by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, China's 6G is currently at a stage where vision requirements are clear, technological breakthroughs are showing initial results, and standards are being fully initiated. It is expected that 6G will commence commercial applications around 2030, achieve large-scale commercial deployment by 2035, and potentially foster a trillion-yuan-level industrial and application market. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association predicts that by 2040, the number of 6G connections is expected to exceed 5 billion, accounting for half of the total global mobile connections.
Judging from the Pre-6G trial network and its application demonstrations showcased by the Purple Mountain Laboratories in Nanjing, China, related technologies are accelerating the transition from "usable" to "easy to use," laying the foundation for future large-scale commercialization.