China Pioneers the 6G Era: From Connected Things to Intelligent Agents

China Pioneers the 6G Era: From Connected Things to Intelligent Agents

While 5G is still unfolding its full potential around the world, China has already taken a decisive step into the next frontier of mobile communication. The country recently became the first in the world to officially authorize the use of the 6GHz frequency band for 6G trials, marking a major shift from theoretical research into real-world spectrum testing. This milestone not only brings 6G closer to reality but also offers a glimpse into a future where communication goes far beyond connecting people and machines.

What exactly is 6G?
According to Zhang Ping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, each generation of mobile technology has expanded the boundaries of connectivity. “4G enabled communication between people, 5G connects people, machines, and things, while 6G will realize communication among people, machines, things, and intelligent agents,” he explained. In the 6G vision, an “intelligent agent” refers to a digital entity with the ability to learn and make decisions autonomously. This means the network of the future will not merely carry data but will actively perceive, think, and collaborate, seamlessly integrating the physical world with a new dimension of native artificial intelligence.

Why the 6GHz band matters
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has granted the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group a trial frequency license for the 6425–7125 MHz range, a continuous block of 700 MHz often called the “golden spectrum.” This mid-band frequency is particularly precious because it strikes an ideal balance between wide coverage and large capacity, while being highly compatible with existing 5G infrastructure. An official from MIIT’s Radio Administration Bureau compared spectrum to land: “Just as you cannot build a house without land, you cannot develop a mobile communication industry without sufficient, high-quality spectrum resources.” Leveraging the mature 5G ecosystem, the 6GHz band allows a smooth and cost-effective evolution toward 6G, supporting emerging applications such as integrated satellite-terrestrial networks, communication-AI fusion, and integrated sensing and communication.

A decade of strategic planning
China’s leadership in 6G spectrum is no accident. The country began studying the 6GHz band years ago and successfully initiated an international agenda item on its use for mobile services at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19). At WRC-23, China helped secure an additional 700 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G/6G across Europe, Africa, parts of Asia and the Americas—increasing the global mid-band total by over 50% and benefiting more than 60% of the world’s population. Domestically, China updated its radio frequency allocation rules in 2023 to designate the 6425–7125 MHz band for IMT systems including 6G, setting a global example.

From trials to a trillion-yuan market
China has already completed the first phase of key 6G technology trials between 2022 and 2025, accumulating over 300 technology reserves, and is now launching the second phase of technical solution trials. Looking ahead, the “15th Five-Year Plan” period (2026–2030) will focus on standard development and industrial R&D, with initial commercial deployment expected around 2030. By 2035, large-scale commercial rollout is anticipated, potentially nurturing a 6G industry and application market worth trillions of yuan. As MIIT’s spectrum decision accelerates the entire industrial chain—from chips and terminals to testing instruments—the 6G vision of a world inhabited by intelligent agents is steadily moving from blueprint to reality.

Mobile Communications: Comparison Table of Mainstream Frequency Band Parameters and Characteristics