Japan and US to partner on 6G standards
This comes as Chinese companies are entering this space, seeking to get their 6G tech into international standards


Japan and the US are set to work together to lead the creation of international standards in unmanned technology that uses 6G communications.
With 6G expected to be widely adopted around 2030, the two countries are aiming to keep Chinese companies from dominating the field, with companies like Huawei, Alibaba, and Tencent aiming to make their 6G unmanned tech into international standards.
The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications may call on companies to form a 6G consortium by September, according to a report from Nikkei Asia.
The consortium will reportedly draw from a range of industries including those involved in communications devices, mobiles, drones, timepiece manufacturing and automobiles. This group will also invite US partners that are strong in software and engage in expansion overseas.
There are plans to commercialise technology for chip-scale atomic clocks by 2025. These components act like sensors and are seen as indispensable for real-time remote control. Adding them to automated vehicles and drones may make it possible to precisely determine the time and their locations, the way atomic clocks in GPS satellites currently do.
Japan’s communication ministry will reportedly partly support funding for research and development together with pilot testing, with the assistance lasting for four years starting from 2022. However, it wasn’t revealed how much this funding will be.
The ministry will also consider providing the consortium with technology for specialised semiconductors developed by an R&D organisation overseen by the ministry called the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
RELATED RESOURCE
China has made progress with its 6G technology recently when earlier this month, a Chinese laboratory made a breakthrough in 6G-oriented terahertz 100/200 Gbits/sec real-time wireless communication with what it claimed to be the fastest speed ever recorded. The project achieved a single-wavelength net rate of 103.125 Gbps and dual-wavelength terahertz wireless transmission with a net rate of 206.25 Gbits/sec.
This isn’t the first time Japan has been seeking partnerships when it comes to 6G, as in June last year, Japanese and Finnish industry groups were set to conduct 6G research and development. The groups wanted to lead the formation of 6G standards. The partnership includes an exchange of information and publications, personnel exchange, and collaborative research and development projects.
Zach Marzouk is a former ITPro, CloudPro, and ChannelPro staff writer, covering topics like security, privacy, worker rights, and startups, primarily in the Asia Pacific and the US regions. Zach joined ITPro in 2017 where he was introduced to the world of B2B technology as a junior staff writer, before he returned to Argentina in 2018, working in communications and as a copywriter. In 2021, he made his way back to ITPro as a staff writer during the pandemic, before joining the world of freelance in 2022.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?
In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
By Kate O'Flaherty Published
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
Princeton Digital Group reveals "wise" $1 billion+ Indonesia data centre investment to service Singapore
News The new investment will help customers located in Singapore expand their infrastructure
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Japanese telco NTT to invest $3.5 billion in Indian data centres
News The money marks a steep increase in the telco's investment compared to recent years
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Bharti Airtel continues data centre "expansion spree" with £200m Hyderabad investment
News This company is expecting to triple its capacity over the next four years
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
AWS launches Australia's first local zone for low-latency workloads and data residency
News The company is aiming to help customers who need infrastructure closer to their data sources or end-users
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Japan to establish $450 million fund for 6G research
News The country is aiming to revitalise its domestic industry to compete with telecoms giants around the world based in Finland, Sweden, and China
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Equinix's $74 million Indonesia data centre branded "strategically important" to its Asia-Pacific ambitions
News The eight-story facility is expected to have more than 1,600 cabinets and over 5,300 square metres of colocation space
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Singapore becomes a lightning rod for Google investment
News The tech giant has doubled-down on regional investment to coincide with the opening of its third data centre facility
By Zach Marzouk Published
-
Reliance Jio splashes out $11 billion in India’s 5G auction
News Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Adani also took part in the $19 billion spectrum auction
By Zach Marzouk Published