November 17, 2023
Research reveals that the UK is at the forefront of 6G innovation, ranking in fourth place in the world’s race to 6G.
The study by Uswitch mobiles analysed countries on their median and maximum 5G download speeds, as well as their 6G patent filings by country, to reveal which countries are leading the race to 6G.
The top countries leading the race to 6G:
| Rank | Country | 6G Patents | Fastest 5G Speed | 6G Ready Score |
| 1 | South Korea | 760 | 814 | 8.75 |
| 2 | India | 265 | 465 | 7.50 |
| 3 | United States | 2,229 | 363 | 6.88 |
| 4 | China | 4,604 | 142 | 5.00 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 115 | 392 | 5.00 |
| 6 | Japan | 155 | 298 | 3.75 |
| 6 | Finland | 12 | 452 | 3.75 |
| 8 | Germany | 77 | 330 | 3.13 |
| 9 | Australia | 55 | 296 | 1.25 |
The UK ranks as the fourth most 6G-ready country with a 6G Ready score of 5/10. The UK has filed 115 patents for 6G technology which is much lower than some of the other top-ranking countries. However, the UK has recorded average top 5G speeds of 392 Mbps.
South Korea is the leading country in the race to 6G, with a ‘6G-Ready’ score of 8.75/10. The country was a pioneer in 5G technology, investing heavily in fibre optics and 5G networks. South Koreans also have a high rate of internet usage with many relying on digital services for shopping, banking and everything in between.
India is the second most 6G-ready country, with a score of 7.5/10. India has filed 265 patents for 6G technology and has recorded a substantial 465 Mbps average top speed. By the end of 2022, India recorded over 900 million active internet users, second only to China as the largest online market in the world.
Third in the race to 6G is the US, with a score of 6.88/10. The US has reported the second-highest volume of patent files in the world, with 2,229 at the end of 2022. As of 2022, 92 per cent of the US population actively uses the internet and relies on internet connections for entertainment, commerce and education.
Further Study Insights
- South Korea has the fastest 5G internet speeds in the world, recording a download speed of 814 Mbps in the top 10 per cent of users.
- Bristol is the UK area with the greatest 5G networks, offering a huge 10000 Mbps maximum download speed.