Is the UK ready for 6G?

By Guy Matthews 22 Mar 24 Reading time: 1 mins

Research has revealed that the UK is, by one set of metrics at least, at the forefront of 6G innovation. According to a study on The race to 6G from price comparison provider Uswitch, the country is in joint fourth place globally (with China).

The survey listed countries according to their median and maximum 5G download speeds combined with the number of 6G patents they have so far filed. Although the UK has filed only 115 patents, which is about half the number of the frontrunners, it has recorded top 5G speeds of 392Mbps, suggesting a national appetite for fast cellular connectivity.

“6G is expected to launch commercially in 2030,” says Rehan Ali, mobile market analyst with Uswitch. “6G is already in development, but don’t forget that the rollout of 5G across the UK is still not complete. Only 50% of the country is covered by it, and each network provides 5G coverage in different locations.”

South Korea is the leading country in the march to 6G, judged by Uswitch’s measurements. It was a pioneer in 5G technology, with South Koreans having learned to rely on high speed, high availability digital services for shopping and banking. India is the second most 6G-ready country, according to the findings, with the USA in third place.

Guy Matthews / Writer

Guy has been a technology journalist for over 35 years during which time he has edited and written for numerous newspapers and magazines. A particular specialism for the past 20 years has been the market for wholesale telecoms services. As one of the main freelance writers for Capacity magazine, Guy has written in depth on topics ranging from developments in subsea cabling and the evolution of the Internet of Things to Carrier Ethernet standards and the challenges of network security. He has also contributed to European Communications, Mobile Europe, Vanilla Plus, IoT Now and The Register.