As the competition for dominance in the next-generation communication market intensifies, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. is actively advancing the commercialization of sixth generation (6G) mobile communication in the United States.

According to multiple industry sources on Wednesday, Samsung Research America, which conducts advanced technology research for Samsung Electronics, recently sent an application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use frequencies to evaluate next-generation cellular equipment.

Samsung Electronics stated that it would use radio waves in the 12.7 to 13.25 gigahertz (GHz) band within a 1-kilometer distance in Texas for the experiment.

Previously, Samsung Electronics applied for and conducted a 6G experiment in Texas using radio waves in the 500-meter band.

Samsung Electronics has doubled the distance two years after its precious experiment. If the latest experiment succeeds over the entire 1-kilometer range, Samsung Electronics will set a record for the world’s longest-distance 6G communication.

Samsung Electronics declared the development of 6G communication in July 2020 with the release of the 6G White Paper and has developed its next-generation communication technology since then.

Samsung Electronics envisions the commercialization of 6G services by 2030 while leading global companies, including China’s Huawei, also anticipate that 6G communication will be viable around 2030.

By then, the companies are expected to achieve communication speeds approaching 1 terabit per second (Tbps), capable of transferring 125 gigabytes of large-capacity data in just one second, or 10 to 50 times faster than the current fifth generation (5G) communication.

With the introduction of 6G, communication latency will significantly decrease, enabling precise surgeries such as brain surgery using ultra-high-definition 3D video. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT will also see an increase in their speeds.

The fourth generation (4G) era under the name LTE began in 2010, followed by the commercialization of 5G in 2019. A new era of ultra-high-speed communication is expected to unfold 10 years later.

Leading global electronics and network companies, led by Samsung Electronics, are making massive investments to secure a foothold in the 6G market.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee emphasized in 2021 that “communication is an infrastructure that is just as crucial as vaccines” and that the company “needs to be make preparations for the 6G network ahead of time so that we can use it effectively when needed.”

Lee is directly overseeing the 5G and 6G network equipment business and continues to expand global sales activities.

The competition among information technology (IT) companies for leadership in the 6G era is also accelerating with LG Electronics Inc. actively contributing to technology development along with Samsung Electronics.

By Oh Chan-jong and Lee Eun-joo

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