China leads global 6G patent applications

China has taken a leading role in 6G patent applications in the world, outweighing the US and Japan, according to Nikkei Asia on Thursday.

China's 6G patent applications account for 40.3 percent of the world total, crowning the list of global 6G patent filings, said a survey conducted by Nikkei in partnership with Tokyo-based research company Cyber Creative Institute.

The US and Japan took second and third spots on the list with 35.2 and 9.9 percent 6G patent filings, respectively, followed by Europe with 8.9 percent and South Korea with 4.2 percent, the report said.

Nikkei and Cyber Creative Institute studied around 20,000 patent applications for nine core 6G technologies, including communications, quantum technology, base stations and artificial intelligence.

The upcoming 6G mobile communications technology is expected to enable fully autonomous driving, high-definition virtual reality and worldwide internet connections, even in remote deserts.

China's patent applications are mostly related to mobile infrastructure technology with Huawei, State Grid Corporation of China, and China Aerospace Science and Technology as the big Chinese patent holders.