Evolution Toward Sixth-Generation (6G) Mobile Cellular Systems

In April 2019, the era of 5G mobile communications commenced as South Korea’s three mobile operators, namely SK Telecom, LG U+, and KT, engaged in a competitive race with Verizon, a US carrier, to offer the world’s first 5G commercial service. Over the past several years, we have witnessed a significant leap in global 5G penetration, along with a remarkable surge in 5G subscriptions across the world. According to the statistics from the GSM Association (GSMA), there were already more than one billion 5G subscribers by the end of 2022, and this figure is projected to surpass 4.6 billion worldwide in 2028, constituting over 50 percent of all mobile subscribers. Currently, there are over 200 operational 5G networks globally, and over 700 different 5G smartphone models are available for users. By 2028, 5G is anticipated to become the prevailing mobile access technology in terms of subscriptions. For instance, China has achieved a 90 percent coverage of 5G with the installation of approximately 3 million 5G base stations.