China Allocates Golden Spectrum for 6G Commercial Launch

China has become the first country in the world to approve test frequency licenses for sixth-generation (6G) mobile communications, allocating the prized 6GHz “golden spectrum” band for technology trials. The milestone, announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on May 8, 2026, marks a critical step in China’s roadmap toward commercial 6G services expected around 2030.

The Golden Spectrum

The 6GHz frequency band — designated as the “golden spectrum” — offers continuous large-bandwidth, high-quality mid-band spectrum resources with advantages in wide coverage, large capacity, and high reliability. According to the MIIT, the frequency usage license was granted to the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group, the primary organization coordinating China’s 6G research and development across industry, academia, and research institutions.

The 6GHz band is also highly compatible with existing 5G mid-band industrial ecosystems, which can effectively reduce networking and construction costs during the transition from 5G to 6G.

A Systematic Development Path

China has followed a consistent pattern in mobile communications: “commercializing one generation while researching the next.” The country completed its first phase of 6G key technology tests between 2022 and 2025, accumulating over 300 key technology reserves. As Xinhua News reported, the second phase of technical trials has now been launched, focusing on technology solution verification and prototype system development.

This phased approach has been bolstered by a formidable infrastructure foundation. China has built 4.838 million 5G base stations, with 5G-Advanced (5G-A) networks covering over 330 cities. The country has also deployed 42 intelligent computing clusters with computing power exceeding 1,590 EFLOPS, ranking among global leaders.

What 6G Will Bring

According to experts, 6G represents a fundamental shift from traditional mobile communication networks to intelligent information networks. Shao Chunju, Dean of the Future Research Institute at China Mobile Research Institute, explained that “6G will deeply integrate multidimensional capabilities including communication, sensing, computing, and artificial intelligence, achieving integrated space-air-ground全域 coverage.”

Wu Jianjun, Deputy Secretary-General of the Future Mobile Communications Forum, provided technical context: compared to 5G, 6G’s peak rate reaches 100 Gbps to 1 Tbps — 10 to 100 times faster — while air interface latency drops to as low as 0.1 milliseconds, one-tenth of 5G. As China Industry News detailed, 6G shifts from being connection-centric to intelligent integration-centric, embedding AI capabilities throughout the communication system.

Key technical features of 6G include integrated communication-sensing (networks gaining radar-like capabilities), integrated communication-intelligence (AI embedded throughout), integrated communication-computing, space-air-ground integration via satellite networks, and endogenous security built into the network architecture.

Commercial Timeline and Economic Impact

Du Ying, Deputy Director of the Wireless and Mobile Communications Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), stated that “6G is expected to launch commercial applications around 2030, with large-scale commercial deployment by 2035.” The 6G industry is projected to form a trillion-yuan (RMB) market, benefiting sectors including telecommunications equipment manufacturing, chip design, industrial Internet, low-altitude economy, digital twin cities, and holographic communications.

The 2026 Chinese Government Work Report explicitly called for cultivating 6G and other future industries, signaling strong policy support.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the progress, significant challenges remain. Technical hurdles include terahertz (THz) transmission suffering from significant signal loss, placing stringent requirements on chips and materials. Supply chain concerns persist, as China still relies on imports for some radio frequency chips and high-precision sensors. CCTV News noted that high network construction costs with uncertain early-stage investment returns also pose challenges.

Experts also point to potential standards fragmentation between Chinese and Western 6G standards, limited cross-industry coordination, and a shortage of interdisciplinary talent combining communications, AI, and aerospace expertise.

International Context

China’s early spectrum allocation gives its domestic industry a head start in chip development, terminal manufacturing, and testing. While global 6G standards are still being developed — with initial standards expected around 2028 — China’s large domestic market could help it establish de facto standards that compete with those from Europe and the United States.

What to Watch

With the second phase of trials underway and spectrum now allocated, the next milestones will be the completion of prototype testing, the release of initial 6G standards around 2028, and the first commercial deployments targeted for 2030. The global race for next-generation wireless leadership is accelerating, and China has placed itself firmly in the lead position.