The Global 6G Conference 2024, co-hosted by FuTURE Forum and Purple Mountain Laboratories, opened in Nanjing on April 17.

Wu Hequan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that 6G represents not only a technological enhancement but also changes in platform, leading to innovations required for application convenience, security, and intelligence. He said that 6G would be applied for satellite communication and low-altitude drones, upgrading the computing power and intelligently connected vehicles to a higher level.

You Xiaohu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, noted the industrial challenges in 5G application, including power consumption, cost, uplink capacity and latency. In comparison, 6G can support further digital transformation, and promote intelligent manufacturing and industrial chain extension, he said.

Professor Wang Dongming of Southeast University highlighted new application scenarios at the communication level, such as the use of 6G base stations rather than radar for drone and satellite services. New technologies will enable communication across greater distances with enhanced speed and efficiency, promising a bright future in the development of the low-altitude economy.

The event also released a 6G white paper, covering topics such as network architecture, intelligent network, and quantum information technology.

"As 6G’s development path and other issues need to be further explored, it’s necessary to gather wisdom across the globe and form a consensus as soon as possible, promoting technology innovation and the sustained, healthy industry development," said Fu Jun, deputy secretary-general of the FuTURE Forum.

The conference also announced an initiative to collaboratively build 6G consensus and partnership, including jointly shaping the sector’s basic design, promoting open cooperation, facilitating application in forward-looking infrastructure, and establishing an extensive collaboration mechanism to align with diverse needs.