LG Electronics had also partnered with wireless equipment maker Technologies Inc. for Technology which is used to convert beam directions as per channel changes and receiver positions. The South Korean company also introduced the full-duplex (FDR) technology to transmit and receive data simultaneously in the same frequency band.
It is still some years before the 6G technology gets commercialized. For now, 5G is having its own share of troubles, especially with major US airlines warning against the use of 5G in flights as they believe the technology can disrupt the flight systems.
The sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication network is expected to integrate the terrestrial, aerial, and maritime communications into a robust network which would be more reliable, fast, and can support a massive number of devices with ultra-low latency requirements. The researchers around the globe are proposing cutting edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), quantum communication/quantum machine learning (QML), blockchain and millimeter waves communication, tactile Internet, non-orthogonal multiple access, small cell's communication, fog/edge computing, etc., as the key technologies in the realization of beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G communications. In this article, we provide a detailed overview of the 6G network dimensions with air interface and associated potential technologies. More specifically, we highlight the use cases and applications of the proposed 6G networks in various dimensions. Furthermore, we also discuss the key performance indicators (KPI) for the B5G/6G network, challenges, and future research opportunities in this domain.
Introduction
Next-generation communication systems aim to achieve high spectral and energy efficiency, low latency, and massive connectivity because of extensive growth in the number of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. These IoT devices will realize advanced services such as smart traffic, environment monitoring, and control, virtual reality (VR)/virtual navigation, telemedicine, digital sensing, high definition (HD), and full HD video transmission in connected drones and robots. IoT devices are predicted to reach 25 billion by the year 2025 [1], and therefore, it is very challenging for the existing multiple access techniques to accommodate such a massive number of devices. Even fifth generation (5G) communication systems, which are being rolled out in the world at the moment, cannot support such a high number of IoT devices. Third generation partnership project (3GPP) is already working on the development of 5G standard and has identified massive machine type communication, ultra-reliable and low latency communication, and enhanced mobile broad band as three main use cases for 5G in its Release 13 (R13).
At the same time, algorithms for the next generation communication systems, which will have the performance higher than that of existing 5G networks, are being developed [3]. A typical 5G communication system has the capability to support at most 50,000 narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices per cell [2]. Specifically, a more robust network must be designed to realize the massive access in beyond 5G (B5G)/6G communication systems. We now discuss comprehensive literature that has appeared on various dimensions of 6G networks.
Vision and literature survey
Currently, there is little information about the standards of 6G. However, it is estimated that the international standardization bodies will sort out the standards for 6G by the year 2030 [4]. The work of research centers has shown that 6G will be capable of transmitting a signal at a human computational capability by the year 2035 [5]. While the rollout of 5G is still underway, the researchers across the world have started working to bring a new generation of wireless networks. A tentative timeline for the implementation of 5G, B5G, and 6G standards by international standardization bodies is shown in Fig. 1 with respect to the vision of 6G wireless networks. International Telecommunication Union issued the requirements of International Mobile Telecommunications-2020 (IMT-2020 Standard) in 2015 for the 5G network standards. At the same time, 3GPP issued R13 for 5G standards. It is predicted that ITU will complete the standardization of 6G (ITU-R IMT-2030) by the end of the year 2030, whereas 3GPP will finalize its standardization of 6G in R23 [5]. ITU has established a focus workgroup for exploring the system technologies for B5G/6G systems in July 2018 [7]. The Academy of Finland has founded, 6G, a flagship program focusing on 6G technologies, in 2018 [8]. Similarly, China, the United States of America, South Korea, Japan, Russia have also started the research for B5G/6G communication technologies [4, 5,
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