Does Japan have 6G? 

Is Japan already on 6G? Learn what Japan has done so far, which companies are running trials, when commercial 6G is expected, and whether there are prices today — plus realistic pricing scenarios and what to watch next.

No — Japan does not yet have a commercial 6G service you can subscribe to. Japanese operators and research institutes are running active 6G/Beyond-5G trials and coordinating on standards, and the country — like many others — targets commercialization around 2030, but widespread consumer plans and fixed prices are not available today.

What “6G” means right now?

“6G” (often referenced as IMT-2030) is the label for the next major generation of mobile communications technologies. It’s still in the research, standardization and early field-trial phase worldwide. The current work focuses on extremely high frequency bands, AI-driven radio control, advanced MIMO, integrated terrestrial/air/space links, and services that tightly combine communications with compute, sensing and distributed cloud. Given that the global standardization work is still ongoing, many countries (including Japan) are coordinating R&D and trials rather than launching mass commercial offers. 

What Japan has actually done so far (high-value milestones)

Japan is one of the most active countries pushing on 6G research. Key recent steps include:

• Operator and vendor trials: NTT DOCOMO and partners ran indoor 6G radio-interface tests using AI in the 4.8 GHz band (a research/test activity reported in late 2024), demonstrating throughput and AI optimization techniques.

• Industry agreements and joint R&D: Major Japanese carriers and vendors (NTT, KDDI, NEC, Fujitsu, Rakuten and others) are co-operating on R&D for aspects of 6G network functions, multi-APN resilience and edge/cloud cooperation. KDDI Research is active in standards and collaborates with global vendors.

• International vendor partnerships: SoftBank has formal partnerships with vendors (for example Ericsson) to advance AI, cloud RAN and 6G research, including trials of centimeter-wave bands for 6G use cases. In 2025 SoftBank announced outdoor trials of 7 GHz bands intended to validate aspects of future IMT systems.

• Academic and industry research alliances: Japanese research labs (NTT Research/Network Innovation Laboratories, KDDI Research, university labs) continue to publish technical advances relevant to 6G (e.g., orbital angular momentum MIMO, AI-controlled PHY layers).

These activities mean Japan is on the front line of the technical work — but the step from trials and standards work to consumer-facing, priced services is substantial.

When will Japan launch 6G commercially?

Most public planning documents and industry roadmaps from Japan and international bodies point to commercial 6G service timelines centred around 2030. That target (sometimes phrased as “IMT-2030”) reflects global coordination on standards and frequency allocation and is the working assumption of carriers and regulators. Early prototypes and pilot networks may appear earlier (late 2020s) in controlled testbeds or vertical-industry deployments, but full consumer commercialization in Japan is expected around 2030, not earlier.

Important nuance: “Around 2030” is a working goal — large carriers often talk about pilot services, pre-commercial demonstrations or vertical-market rollouts before a mass consumer launch. Expect phased rollouts: research → trials → industry/private deployments (e.g., factories, campuses, HAPS/satellite integrations) → commercial consumer plans.

Are any Japanese operators offering something called “6G” now?

No national carrier in Japan offers a public, billed “6G” consumer plan today. What you will see now are:

• Lab and field trials (operators + vendors + universities).

• Pre-commercial proof-of-concept services for specialized use cases (for example pre-commercial HAPS or airborne connectivity tests announced by carriers).

These are demonstrations or limited trials — not retail services with consumer pricing and SLAs.

What about prices — how much will 6G cost in Japan?

There are no official retail 6G prices today because there are no commercial consumer 6G services yet.

That said, you can reasonably expect several pricing dynamics when 6G becomes commercial:

1. Early premium positioning: Initial commercial 6G (early adopters, enterprise slices, ultra-low-latency or guaranteed XR/AR services) will likely carry a premium versus mainstream 5G plans because of higher deployment costs (new spectrum, densification, new radio and device costs). This is an industry pattern that can be observed with prior generation transitions. (This is an inference — not a quoted price.)

2. Segmented offers: Expect vertical/enterprise pricing (private 6G slices, campus networks, industrial SLAs) that is higher per-unit but tailored, while mass-market consumer plans may be introduced later at more competitive rates.

3. Device impact: 6G-capable devices will initially be expensive; device cost often drives early monthly pricing and adoption pace.

4. Potential long-term fall in per-GB cost: As infrastructure scales and technology matures, carriers generally reduce per-GB costs over time; the experience from 3G→4G→5G suggests a similar pattern.

Because no retail 6G plans exist, any numeric price you see now would be speculative. If you need a suggested range for planning or modelling, a cautious approach is to assume initial enterprise/early-adopter 6G packages could be 20–100% more expensive than premium 5G plans (depending on SLA and service type), with consumer prices moderating after a few years. Label this as an estimate, not a fact.

What companies in Japan are leading 6G work?

• NTT DOCOMO — active in radio experiments, white papers and standards contributions.

• KDDI / KDDI Research — R&D collaborations (including partnerships with Samsung) and standards work.

• SoftBank — vendor partnerships and band/trial testing (including centimeter/7 GHz trials).

• Fujitsu, NEC and other vendors — device and infrastructure research, collaborative tests.

Japan also benefits from strong university and government lab involvement and coordinated industry proposals to standards bodies.

What should consumers and businesses watch for next?

If you want to track real progress toward commercial 6G in Japan, watch for these signals:

• Regulatory milestones — spectrum allocation decisions for terahertz/centimeter/other bands and any licensing policy changes.

• Operator announcements — dates for pre-commercial trials, commercial trial cities, device launches labelled “6G prototype” or “IMT-2030 pilot.”

• Standards approvals — 3GPP study items and ITU IMT-2030 technical performance specifications being finalized.

• Device roadmaps — smartphone/industrial device makers listing 6G-capable chipsets and devices (these will be a sign that consumer adoption can start).

Japan is pushing hard on 6G research, standardization and field trials — its carriers and vendors are among the global leaders in prototype tests and international collaborations. But Japan does not have commercial 6G today, and no official retail prices exist yet. The widely cited target for broad commercialization is around 2030, with phased and vertical deployments likely earlier. If you’re tracking 6G for purchasing or business planning, watch carrier press releases, regulator spectrum decisions, and device announcements over the next few years.

FAQ 

Q: Can I buy 6G in Japan today?
A: No — only trials and research; no retail consumer 6G subscription exists yet.

Q: When will 6G be available in Japan?
A: The working target across industry and regulators is around 2030 for broad commercialization; expect pilot and vertical rollouts before that.

Q: Which Japanese carrier will offer 6G first?
A: Carriers active in trials (NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SoftBank, Rakuten) are all positioning for early deployments. The first commercial offer will depend on device availability, spectrum allocation and each operator’s rollout strategy.

Q: Will 6G be massively more expensive than 5G?
A: Initial specialized 6G services (enterprise/vertical slices) will likely be priced at a premium; mass-market consumer pricing should normalize over time. Any numeric estimate today would be speculative.