China's first Pre-6G test network was officially put into operation in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, advancing the 6G technology toward real-world applications. The test network integrates 6G innovative technologies into the existing 5G network and features high bandwidth, long-range coverage, deterministic low latency, and native artificial intelligence (AI) integration, with capabilities up to 10 times those of 5G. Systematic verification in areas such as low-altitude inspection, industrial manufacturing, embodied intelligence, and holographic communications, has been conducted, laying an important foundation for future 6G standardization and industrial applications. There is already 5G-Advanced (5G-A), which is the evolutionary stage of 5G networks, and the emergence of Pre-6G means integrating 6G-related technologies into existing 5G networks to enhance current network capabilities, Ma Jihua, a veteran market analyst, told the Global Times.
Ma said that the significance of this kind of trial lies in its ability to test and apply certain 6G standards. It also better addresses the growing demand for more advanced communication technologies from key sectors such as new materials, new energy, the low-altitude economy, and aerospace during the 15th Five Year Plan (2026-30) period. China has already established the world's largest 5G network, with large-scale deployment accelerating in key sectors such as industry, mining, power, and healthcare, according to industry data, which provides a certain foundation for the evolution toward 6G. Speaking at a press conference, Xie Cun, Director of the Bureau for Information and Communications Development of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said that as of the end of March, the total number of 5G base stations across China reached 4.958 million. Meanwhile, 5G-A has now covered 330 cities.
The development of 5G has also driven progress in multiple fields, including AI and the industrial internet, gradually giving rise to future demand for 6G, Ma said. On this basis, through the continuous evolution of 5G and Pre-6G, there is potential to establish a certain first-mover advantage in future 6G standard-setting, the expert said, as reported by the Global Times.
