As the world races toward next-generation connectivity, 6G has emerged as a central focus in global technological development.
Experts at the Global 6G Conference 2025, held in Nanjing, China, highlighted how this emerging technology will reshape communication, artificial intelligence, and industrial innovation.
Speaking at the event, Wu Hequan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, projected that smartphones will transform into AI-powered terminals by the time 6G is commercially launched—expected around 2030.
This transformation, he said, will empower users to generate content more efficiently and drive a new era of digital consumption.
Wu emphasized that the shift from 5G to 6G marks a fundamental change in the communication landscape. While earlier generations—1G to 4G—progressed gradually from voice to data services, 5G introduced a more complex model, expanding beyond consumers to serve industrial sectors.
However, despite the seven- to eightfold speed increase from 4G, Wu noted that 5G’s industrial integration has progressed more slowly than expected, revealing challenges for 6G to address.
“6G must still prioritize widespread consumer applications,” Wu noted, adding that the rise of AI may bring new, unconventional terminal devices, although their future usage patterns remain uncertain.
Yu Xiaohu, director of Purple Mountain Laboratories and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, added that 6G isn’t solely about speed. He pointed to advances in integrated sensing and low-altitude communications as key innovations that could redefine the technological landscape.
According to Yu, 6G will create a unified system that merges data, AI, communication, and industrial control—a breakthrough solution to many of the current limitations of 5G.
With China eyeing a 2030 rollout for 6G, both Wu and Yu envision a transformation akin to the iPhone revolution, heralding a new era of intelligent, AI-integrated mobile devices and advanced industrial capabilities.
Source: CGTN
BDST: 1003 HRS, APR 12, 2025
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