In telecommunications, 6G is the sixth generation standard currently under development for wireless communications technologies supporting cellular data networks. It is the planned successor to 5G and will likely be significantly faster. Like its predecessors, 6G networks will probably be broadband cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into small geographical areas called cells. Several companies (Keysight, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, Samsung, LG, Apple, Xiaomi), as well as several countries (China, India, Japan and Singapore), have shown interest in 6G network. 6G networks are expected to exhibit even more heterogeneity (be even more diverse) than their predecessors and are likely to support applications beyond current mobile use scenarios, such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), ubiquitous instant communications, pervasive intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). It is expected that mobile network operators will adopt flexible decentralized business models for 6G, with local spectrum licensing, spectrum sharing, infrastructure sharing, and intelligent automated management underpinned by mobile edge computing, artificial intelligence, short-packet communication and blockchain technologies.
Recent academic articles have been conceptualizing 6G and new features that may be included. AI is included in many of these predictions, from 6G supporting AI infrastructure to "AI designing and optimizing 6G architectures, protocols, and operations".
Another study in Nature Electronics looks to provide a framework for 6G research stating "We suggest that human-centric mobile communications will still be the most important application of 6G and the 6G network should be human-centric. Thus, high security, secrecy and privacy should be key features of 6G and should be given particular attention by the wireless research community".
The question of what frequencies 6G will operate on are still up to interpretation. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers states that "Frequencies from 100 GHz to 3 THz are promising bands for the next generation of wireless communication systems because of the wide swaths of unused and unexplored spectrum".
One of the biggest challenges in supporting the required high transmission speeds will be the limitation of energy/power consumption and associated heat development in the electronic circuits to acceptable proportions. A book published by Wiley (IEEE series) in December 2021 provides a snapshot of current international thinking on the major 6G research aspects.
It states “Besides technologies and services, the business models of mobile communication networks are also evolving and will continue to evolve rapidly in the forthcoming years. Due to the ongoing fixed-mobile network convergence and ICT convergence, future communications will be tightly integrated in enterprise applications. The global rise of 5G campus networks should be considered just the start toward 5G enterprise networking and the emergence of new business models and ecosystems.
This also raises questions on the role of international standards and rise of open software stacks paving the way toward a new telecommunications ecosystem, in which virtualized network functions from different developers and providers can be dynamically orchestrated and integrated in a secure, reliable, and energy-efficient manner".
Nokia CEO Pekka Lundberg believes that 6G will be available by 2030. The company’s top chief, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2022, said that 6G mobile networks, once operational, could make smartphones obsolete.
“By then, the smartphone as we know it today will not be the most common interface. Many of these things will be built directly into our bodies,” Lundmark was quoted. He, however, did not specify which device would replace smartphones as the common interface.
Several companies like Neuralink are working on building and developing chips that can be embedded in the body. The Elon Musk-owned company, last year, released a video where a macaque was seen playing Ming Pong.
6G networks are still in their early stages. So early that there is no standard definition for 6G networks at the moment. While Lundberg did not dive deep into its claims and statements, he stated that the physical and digital worlds will grow together. This suggests that concepts like the metaverse could become popular with 6G. Devices that offer support for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) could also become more mainstream in the coming years.
While companies are already ambitious and looking forward to the widespread rollout of 6G networks, countries like India are yet to experience 5G. The 5G spectrum auction is expected to be held later this year and the commercial rollout could happen soon after that.
India’s PM Narendra Modi recently announced that a task force has already been created to ensure the 6G rollout is fast and smooth once the technology is available for commercial use. India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also announced that the country is working on its indigenous 6G technology, which could be ready by 2023 or 2024.
You must be logged in to post a comment.