Beijing unveils top 10 breakthroughs from 6G labs

Beijing recently unveiled the top 10 breakthroughs from its 6G laboratories at a forum held in its Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town. The announced advances span key 6G domains such as high-frequency communication, reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), satellite-terrestrial integration, and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC).

Notable achievements include a 256TR U6G base station prototype, a 10,000-antenna electromagnetic lens prototype, an AI-native 6G wireless orchestration system, and a cloud-native ISAC base station. Also highlighted were a new long-distance transmission record, the first low-orbit satellite environment for vehicular networks, and breakthroughs in multi-station RIS networking.

Half of the top advances were led or co-developed by companies based in Beijing E-Town, underscoring the area's leading role in 6G R&D and industrialization. For instance, the 256TR U6G base station prototype, developed by an E-town company, is set to enable large-scale applications in immersive interaction and embodied AI.

As a hub for high-precision industries, Beijing E-town has introduced specialized 6G support policies in July. These include R&D funding, subsidies for tech platforms addressing common challenges, and incentives for demonstrative applications to boost a full-chain innovation ecosystem. The area has also established four synergistic 6G labs to promote collaboration.

To date, more than 80 upstream and downstream 6G firms have gathered in the area, covering sectors from chips and base stations to satellite communications, forming a budding end-to-end 6G industrial chain poised to influence global standards and collaboration.