Japanese communications minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday her ministry will hold a meeting of an expert panel by the end of this month to discuss a strategy to develop a sixth-generation, or 6G, mobile network to succeed the coming 5G ultrahigh-speed wireless communications services.

The panel will draw up a comprehensive strategy for prospective 6G services and necessary technologies in the summer at the earliest.

The Japanese government aims to take a lead in the development of a 6G network by starting discussions at an early date, sources familiar with the situation said.

The panel will consist of 10 members, including University of Tokyo President Makoto Gonokami. It is expected to discuss a future society utilizing 6G technologies and policy measures necessary for realizing such a community.

The ministry plans to seek cooperation from private-sector companies and other government ministries and agencies.

With a transmission speed up to 100 times faster than that of the current 4G network, the 5G network is expected to be utilized for autonomous driving and remote medical care services.

But Japan is lagging behind the United States and China in developing 5G services, raising concerns over a decline in the international competitiveness of Japanese companies.

The development of a 6G network is expected to bring about a further improvement in the transmission speed as well as drastic reductions in power consumption.

While commercial 6G services are likely to become available as early as around 2030, related research and development work has already begun abroad.

The ministry aims to present a future direction for the telecommunications industry before R&D activity comes into full swing in other countries, hoping to encourage Japanese companies' development of 6G services, the sources said.

JIJI Press