Africa-Press – Lesotho. The People’s Republic of China has taken a decisive step to realising its development ambitions in the Fourth Industrial Revolution as the authorities unveil the world’s first field test network for 6G communication.
The field test, organised recently under the auspices of Purple Mountain Laboratories, in Nanjing, the capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, also demonstrated the intelligence and perception capabilities of the latest technology.
It allows for deeper integration of communication with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A key feature of the 6G technology is that it will allow the interoperability of terrestrial networks with nonterrestrial technologies such as satellites.
The move reinforces the Asian giant’s cause of spearheading the next-generation wireless technology, a development that sets the tone for innovation advances and industrial transformation.
“This technology has significant application prospects in emerging fields such as drones. When a drone is in flight, base stations need to both communicate with it and sense its presence.
“This is especially important when unauthorised drones enter restricted areas. With integrated communication and sensing capabilities, base stations can support both communication and detection of drones,” Mr. You Xiaohu, Director of Purple Mountain Laboratories, told the media.
In 2023, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), approved a 6G vision framework, providing a foundational document for global 6G work.
The move gave an impetus for renewed research and development of the latest communication technology across the world.
Notably, all the previous mobile telecommunication generations – analogue cellular (1G), digital cellular (2G), IMT‐2000 (3G), IMT‐ Advanced (4G), and IMT‐2020 (5G) – were also standardised through ITU.
“Terrestrial wireless systems to be developed under IMT-2030 are expected to drive the next wave of innovative radiocommunication systems, promote digital equity and advance universal connectivity,” says Mario Maniewicz, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.
Meanwhile, a Chinese technocrat has welcomed the Asian giant’s advances in science, technology, engineering and research, saying the country ought to maintain the momentum for sustainable development and growth.
Professor Yifu Lin, former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics at the World Bank, said: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution presents China with a critical opportunity.”
Delivering a paper on the topic: “China’s Medium and Long-Term Development, Stability, and the Significance of Stable Growth amid Global Uncertainties”, at a public lecture, in Beijing, he advocated an increase in funding for Chinese hi-tech companies.
This, he said, was necessary as the characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution centred on AI, big data, ultra-fast product and technology, as well as research and development cycles.
“China requires new inventions and innovations through research and development to keep up the trend,” he told in an interview on the sidelines of the programme.
The country’s sustained development, he said, was not only vital for the wellbeing of its 1.4 billion people but also to global economic stability and the reshaping of international governance systems.
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