The Steering Committee for the development of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation of HCMC has issued a plan to implement the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on breakthrough development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation for 2026.

The department is assigned to preside over the research, development, and testing of 6th generation mobile technology (6G network) in HCMC; while proposing the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) to put it into testing in an area within the city.

However, there are many existing difficulties: 6G technology is still in the research stage, with no official technical standards issued yet; there is no 6G equipment on the market; enterprises are currently focusing on developing and expanding 5G networks, and 6G research is a long-term strategy.

ITU research

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is actively leading the preparation process for 6G (also known as IMT-2030) with a clear roadmap, from the vision research stage to detailed technical requirements and evaluation of proposed technologies. The goal is to move toward a unified global standard, expected to be finalized around 2030.

First, the ITU completed the first and most important stage of building the vision for 6G, having adopted Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 approved in November 2023.

According to this recommendation, the ITU defined six main application scenarios for 6G including: Immersive Communication; Hyper Reliable and Low-Latency Communication; massive communication; Ubiquitous Connectivity; Artificial Intelligence and Communication; and Integrated Sensing and Communication.

Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 also states: To develop IMT-2030, flexibility is necessary to adapt to new and unforeseen usage scenarios that may arise with various requirements.

IMT-2030 is envisioned to include a large number of different features. Depending on the different circumstances and needs in different countries, IMT-2030 is expected to be designed and operated in a modular fashion so that features can be added gradually as needed.

ITU plays the role of chief architect, providing overall requirements and schedules.

The work of building detailed technical standards will be undertaken by The 3rd Generation Partnership Project - a global cooperation organization developing technical specifications for mobile information technologies.

Under 3GPP roadmap, during 2024-2025, the focus is on unifying requirements for 6G. From the beginning of 2027, 3GPP organizations will submit Radio Interface Technology (RIT) proposals to the ITU.

Early 2029 is the deadline to submit these proposals. From late 2030 to early 2031, the ITU is expected to officially approve the final IMT-2030 standard recommendation.

Currently, the ITU and 3GPP are researching to determine detailed technical requirements for 6G. This is a pivotal and particularly important stage.

In February 2026, the ITU achieved a major step forward by completing the report on minimum performance indicators for 6G. This report sets specific and ambitious goals: peak speeds up to 50-200 Gbps, user experience speeds reaching 300-500 Mbps; radio interface latency of only 0.1-1 ms and reliability up to 99.99999 percent; fundamental technologies identified include THz band communication, AI integrated from the start (AI-native), Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), and other advanced networking technologies.

Three new scenarios 

Among the six application scenarios of 6G according to Recommendation ITU-R 2160, three are developed from 5G application scenarios: immersive communication, massive communication, and hyper-reliable and low-latency communication.

The other three are new scenarios unique to 6G: Integrated AI and Communication, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), and Ubiquitous Connectivity.

These three new scenarios will create the revolution of 6G, elevating mobile networks from pure “connectivity” to an “intelligent world”.

Integrated AI and Communication is considered the heart of the 6G network, where AI is no longer an external layer as in 5G but becomes an inherent part of the entire system (AI Native). In 5G, AI acts like a “smart manager” installed to monitor and optimize the network, while in 6G, AI becomes the network’s “DNA”.

The Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) scenario is giving mobile networks a “sixth sense”, enabling them to perceive the surrounding physical world.

The core concept is that 6G radio waves can simultaneously perform two functions: transmit data and act as a high-precision radar.

Ubiquitous Connectivity: This ambitious goal of 6G aims to eliminate all coverage gaps and bring high-bandwidth Internet connectivity everywhere on Earth. The core concept of this scenario is building a seamless integrated Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

Thai Khang