The three vendors pushed out their separate announcements this morning, saying they were working with Japanese telecoms giant NTT and its mobile associate, DoCoMo, on trials leading up to 6G.
Operators are already working on a list of requirements for 6G through organisations such as the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN).
Most say the first commercial 6G services will be in operation around 2030.
Peter Vetter (pictured), president of core research at Nokia’s Bell Labs, said: “We envision that 6G will unify the human experience across the digital, physical and human worlds.”
Fujitsu said its trials with NTT and DoCoMo will test spectrum in the 100-300GHz range “which represent promising candidates for use in 6G to realize a high-speed communication technology with radio wave propagation that is not affected by obstacles”.
Fujitsu said: “The companies further aim to develop a high-frequency wireless device that utilizes a compound semiconductor.”
NEC said it will work with NTT and DoCoMo on a distributed multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology for using 6GHz or higher up to the sub-terahertz band.
“NEC will also conduct R&D on device technologies for reducing size and power consumption, as well as high-precision beamforming technologies, transmission methods and propagation models suitable for high-frequency bands,” it added.
The collaboration with Nokia “will focus on two proof-of-concepts for emerging 6G technologies: an AI native air interface and sub-terahertz radio access. “These aim to demonstrate a performance gain with an AI-based 6G air interface compared to a conventional air interface, and to show that high-data rate beamformed access can be achieved in a high frequency band at 140GHz.”
Fujitsu said it aims to develop high-frequency wireless devices using compound semiconductors such as gallium nitride and indium phosphorus. It “will promote the development of technologies for the realization of practical applications for 6G and actively engage in global 6G standardization activities to contribute to solving societal issues through R&D,” said the company.
NEC said it “views 6G not only as a dramatic evolution in radio technology, but also as a social infrastructure that combines the use of optical communications, operational sophistication through IOWN [innovative optical and wireless network], a concept for realizing new smart societies that are not yet possible with today’s internet, and service/application infrastructure such as distributed computing and AI.”
