Donald Trump says he wants the US to lead in ‘5G, and even 6G’ wireless technology. But is 6G even a thing?
- Trump’s tweets about the ‘exciting world of technology’ lead to a spike in Google searches about 6G
- Experts say 6G exists largely as a theoretical concept and is a long way from being deployed in the real world
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump urged wireless technology companies to step up their efforts to build next-generation data networks, tweeting that he wanted “5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible.”
The tweet comes as the United States and China prepare for another round of trade talks.
“I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard,” Trump wrote, adding in another tweet that the US “must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology!”
But is 6G even a thing?
If you have to ask, you are not alone: Searches for “6G” spiked on Google in the moments after Trump’s tweet.
The short answer is, 6G is likely what we’ll call whatever advanced data networks come after 5G. And 5G is what carriers are currently building as the next generation after 4G LTE. But so far, 6G exists largely as a theoretical concept and is a long way from being deployed in the real world.
