6G technology, advanced version of 5G?

6G is even more advanced than 5G

Will the boundary between real and virtual disappear?

By combining with AI and communication satellites, super smart cities will become a reality

China's EC market size "Source: China Institute of Commerce and Industry"

According to data for 2023, China's live commerce market is estimated to reach about 3 trillion yuan (about $450 billion).

This represents a growth of more than 30% from the previous year, and the momentum is not slowing down. In particular, the demand for online shopping has increased sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic, and live commerce has gained momentum and become more widespread.

Considering that the market size of live commerce in the country was about 1 trillion yuan (about $150 billion) in 2020, it can be seen that it has expanded rapidly in the following few years.

This rapid growth shows that live commerce is not just a temporary fad, but has also become deeply rooted in consumer purchasing behavior. This rapid growth was supported by ultra-high-speed communication.

Even in 2024, the evolution of communication technology is having many effects, from daily life to the industrial sector. In particular, the spread of 5G and the 6G technology that is expected to be realized in the future have the potential to not only improve communication speeds, but also fundamentally change the structure of society as a whole.

5G will achieve a maximum communication speed of 10Gbps, making it possible to transfer data about 100 times faster than 4G. In addition, the latency is very short at less than 1 millisecond, making it ideal for applications that require real-time performance.

This is expected to lead to major advances in areas such as online gaming, remote control, and medical surgery. In addition, mass connection is now possible.

It is said that 5G can connect about 1 million devices per square kilometer, so it will support a world where everything is simultaneously connected to the Internet and the spread of IoT devices. This will bring about a future where a large number of devices, such as smart homes, smart cities, and self-driving cars, work together seamlessly.

Characteristics and impacts of 5G

As mentioned in this special feature, streaming of high-resolution 4K/8K video and VR/AR content will be smoother than ever before. It will enable interactive experiences in real time, dramatically improving the quality of entertainment.

For example, it will be possible to experience live sports broadcasts and concerts in VR, and viewers will be able to feel as if they are at the venue.

It will also contribute to the development of telemedicine, allowing doctors in remote locations to assist with surgery and perform diagnoses in real time.

This will improve access to medical care, and speed up responses, especially in emergencies. In addition, collaboration with diagnostic support systems that utilize AI will progress, enabling more accurate diagnoses.

Features of 6G and future prospects

What is 6G? "Source: NTT Communications"

6G, which has started to be discussed as 5G is being implemented, is said to aim for a maximum communication speed of 1Tbps, which is said to be capable of transferring data at a speed about 100 times faster than 5G.

In addition, the delay time is said to be less than several hundred microseconds, further improving real-time performance. With such development, the concept of delay will disappear and even more advanced interactive services will be realized.

Of course, 6G will enable the connection of more devices than 5G, further accelerating the development of IoT. This is expected to realize "ultra-smart cities" in which entire cities are highly networked.

It is thought that various sensors and devices will work together to enable efficient energy management and traffic management.

With the ultra-high speed communication and low latency of 6G, augmented reality (XR: a concept that combines VR and AR) will also evolve further, making the boundary between the virtual world and the real world even more blurred.

Not only will new experiences become possible in a variety of fields, including education, entertainment, and business, but the infrastructure may be in place to eliminate the boundary between reality and augmented reality.

Integration with AI and satellite communications

6G is expected to be designed with the assumption of integration with AI and satellite communications. This will allow the network itself to self-optimize, making it possible to provide services in real time according to user needs, and will build a global network that integrates not only terrestrial base stations but also satellite communications.

Internet connection will be possible even in areas where infrastructure is not well developed, and optimal routing and resource allocation will ensure communication quality.

Along with the development of these high-speed communications, the streaming distribution market has produced major players such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

At one time, the proliferation of streaming services led to an increase in cases where consumers were unsure which service to subscribe to, but as a result, aggregation services such as Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV have emerged, making it possible to watch multiple streaming services on a single platform.

Various platforms are focusing on improving user interfaces and strengthening recommendation functions, and are focusing on increasing convenience for viewers.

Future Outlook

The evolution of advertising models is also important. In addition to traditional subscription-based business models, more and more services are now offering free plans with ads.

This model aims to attract more viewers while earning advertising revenue. YouTube and Spotify are particularly good examples of successful use of this model.

The provision of personalized content using artificial intelligence (AI) will progress further, and AI will be strengthened in its ability to analyze viewers' preferences and recommend the most suitable content to each user.

The development of high-speed communication will greatly change our lives and is a piece that will realize a more convenient and efficient society. In particular, 6G is expected to create new technologies and services beyond our imagination, and its arrival is hoped for.

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