Forward-looking: The rollout of 5G networks has just begun and they're only available in a few locations, but that hasn't stopped Samsung from starting work on its successor: 6G.
As reported by the Korea Herald, Samsung has announced the launch of a new research center dedicated to initial work on 6G. It follows the formation of the Advanced Communications Research Center under Samsung Research.
"The current team on telecommunications technology standards has been expanded to start leading research on the 6G network," said a Samsung official.
In addition to its work on 6G, Samsung Research is conducting R&D on artificial intelligence and robotics.
It will be several years before 5G starts to reach mainstream levels. South Korea claimed to be the first country to roll out a 5G mobile network in April, but with the service only active for six celebrity customers, Verizon called the launch a publicity stunt.
We recently saw the BBC hold its first 5G broadcast, but it instantly ran out of data.
Don't expect to see the sixth-generation of mobile networks appear for a very long time, but Samsung is planning ahead and wants to ensure it's at the forefront when the technology arrives.
Back in January, local Samsung rival LG, in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), also opened a 6G research center. "We want to secure core technologies for sixth generation wireless network ahead of time," the company said. China, meanwhile, aims to build a test 6G network for 2020.
The International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology writes that 6G is proposed to integrate with satellite networks for global coverage and provide data rates up to 10 - 11 Gbps.
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