Researchers and industry officials at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing in late March 2026 set out a roadmap for sixth-generation mobile networks in which artificial intelligence is part of the core infrastructure rather than an add-on. According to the presentations, China expects initial commercial trials of 6G around 2030, with widespread consumer use possible by about 2035.
The concept, often called AI-native 6G, envisions a network that manages itself: allocating spectrum, routing traffic and recovering from faults with machine learning models running inside the network, and in many cases making decisions without human intervention.
Where China’s 6G program stands
China’s national 6G technology trials are run by the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The group completed the first phase of its trials earlier in 2026, during which more than 300 candidate technologies were tested, according to Chinese state media. The second phase, launched in February 2026, is meant to produce prototype systems by around 2028 that can be tested in real-world conditions, laying the groundwork for standardization and deployment.
Speakers at the forum framed the next phase as the point at which 6G moves from component-level research to integrated systems. The International Telecommunication Union’s IMT-2030 framework sets the global timeline, with first standards expected around 2028 to 2030.
A global race
China is not alone. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in early March 2026, major equipment makers and operators presented their own visions of AI-native 6G, emphasizing automated network management, real-time learning and autonomous decision-making. India and South Korea have both launched national 6G programs and are competing for patents in the area, seeking a larger share of the standards and intellectual property that underpin the next generation of networks.
The common thread across these efforts is that 6G is being defined as much by intelligence as by speed. Where 5G was sold mainly on bandwidth and latency, 6G proposals emphasize networks that learn from traffic patterns, anticipate demand and adapt without manual configuration, along with integrated sensing and support for large numbers of AI agents and devices.
Timelines remain estimates. Standards bodies, spectrum allocation and the economics of replacing 5G infrastructure will all shape when, and in what form, AI-native 6G reaches consumers.
