This article answers some common questions about 6G and provides an in-depth look at the 6G vision and how to achieve these key goals.
What is 6G?
In short, 6G is the sixth generation of wireless communication standards for cellular networks, replacing the current 5G (fifth generation) standard. However, the research community does not expect 6G technology to replace previous generations. Instead, the new and old technologies will coexist and collaborate to improve our lives.
While 6G can learn from 5G in some aspects, there are still many unexplored technologies that need to be developed from scratch to meet more advanced technological needs and completely change the way we connect with the world.
The first area for improvement is speed. Theoretically, 5G can achieve peak data rates of 20 Gbps, but the highest speed recorded in tests so far is only around 8 Gbps. In 6G, as we begin to use higher frequencies (above 100 GHz), the target peak data rate will reach 1,000 Gbps (1 Tbps), which is sufficient to support use cases such as stereoscopic video and provide enhanced virtual reality experiences.
In fact, we have already demonstrated air interface transmission at a frequency of 310 GHz, with peak speeds of up to 150 Gbps.
Besides speed, 6G technology will bring another key advantage: extremely low latency. This means that communication latency can be reduced to extremely low levels, allowing the Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial applications to fully realize their potential.
6G technology will provide enhanced connectivity, enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) to create even more miracles in the future. While current 5G can support 1 million devices connected simultaneously within a square kilometer (or 0.38 square miles), 6G will increase that number to 10 million.
However, 6G offers us more than just faster data rates and lower latency. Below, we'll explore several new technologies that will significantly impact the next generation of wireless communication.
Who are the users of 6G technology? What are the use cases?
In 5G, we are beginning to see the rise of machine-to-machine communication, and 6G promises to take it to the next level. The general public will become end-users of 6G, as will an increasing number of devices. This transformation will not only impact people's daily lives but also bring about changes to businesses and entire industries.
Beyond providing faster browsing speeds for end users, we can also expect to enhance human interaction through immersive, tactile experiences. For example, Ericsson predicts the emergence of a "sensory internet," potentially allowing people to digitally perceive smells or tastes. A report from the Next Generation Mobile Networks Consortium (NGMN) states that holographic telepresence and stereoscopic video (which we can consider 3D video) will also become use cases. All of this is aimed at integrating virtual reality, mixed reality, and augmented reality into our daily lives.
6G technology is likely to have a greater impact on businesses and industries, ultimately benefiting us end users. Machines will then be able to handle millions of connections simultaneously, accomplishing tasks they cannot currently perform.
The NGMN report predicts that 6G networks will enable ultra-high accuracy in location and tracking. This could lead to numerous advancements, such as allowing drones and robots to deliver goods and manage manufacturing plants; improving digital healthcare and remote health monitoring; and enhancing the use of digital twins.
Digital twins are poised to become a significant use case. Certain industries can leverage this crucial tool to effectively address problems in factories or specific machines, with numerous similar benefits. We can envision creating a digital twin of an entire city and testing the replicated object to evaluate which solutions are best suited for traffic management scenarios. The Singapore government has already begun building a 3D city model in preparation for realizing a smart city in the future.
How can 6G be implemented?
Creating a new world requires the adoption of new technologies. In areas such as edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and network slicing, 6G will undoubtedly benefit significantly from 5G. At the same time, we also need radical transformation to meet the new technological demands.
First, it's important to understand how to operate within the Asia-Pacific Hertz frequency range. 5G needs to operate in the millimeter wave (mmWave) band from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz to fully realize its potential, while next-generation mobile connectivity will likely move to frequencies above 100 GHz, i.e., the Asia-Pacific Hertz frequency, and may even enter the true terahertz frequency range.
Why is this important? As the frequency increases, the signal wave exhibits different characteristics. Prior to 5G, cellular communications used only the spectrum below 6 GHz, and the signal could travel up to 10 miles. In the millimeter-wave band, the signal propagation distance drastically decreases to around 1,000 feet. The Asia-Pacific Hertz (APH) signals recommended for 6G tend to have even shorter propagation distances, only tens to hundreds of feet instead of thousands of feet.
That said, we can use new types of antennas to maximize signal propagation distance. Antenna size is proportional to signal wavelength; therefore, the higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength, allowing the antenna size to be reduced small enough for mass deployment. Furthermore, the antenna employs a technique called beamforming, directing the signal towards a specific receiver, rather than transmitting in all directions like the omnidirectional antennas commonly used before LTE.
Another important area is designing 6G networks for AI and ML. 5G has already begun to consider adding AI and ML to existing networks. With 6G, we will have the opportunity to build networks from scratch that are inherently adapted to these technologies.
A report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) states that by 2030, the world will generate more than 5,000 exabytes (or 5 billion terabytes) of data per month. Given the sheer number of connected users and devices, we will have to rely on AI and ML to perform tasks such as managing data traffic, enabling intelligent industrial machines to make real-time decisions, and efficiently utilize resources.
Another challenge that 6G needs to address is security—how to ensure data security so that only authorized users can access it. The solution is to enable the system to automatically predict sophisticated cyberattacks.
The final technological requirement is virtualization. With the evolution of 5G, we will gradually shift to virtual environments. Today, Open RAN (O-RAN) architectures are offloading more processing and functionality to the cloud. Solutions such as edge computing will become increasingly prevalent in the future.
Is 6G technology sustainable?
Sustainability is a key focus for the telecommunications industry today. Indeed, with the advancement of 5G and the ever-growing proximity of 6G, humans and machines will consume increasingly more data. For example, consider our carbon footprint in the digital world: sending a simple email is equivalent to releasing 4 grams of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Fortunately, 6G technology promises to help improve sustainability in various applications. Optimizing the use of natural resources on farms is one example. By using real-time data, 6G can also empower smart vehicles to plan routes, which will help reduce carbon emissions and better allocate energy, thereby improving energy efficiency.
Furthermore, researchers have placed sustainability at the heart of their 6G project. Components, such as semiconductors using new materials, should reduce power consumption. Ultimately, we expect next-generation mobile connectivity to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
When will 6G be available?
The industry consensus is that the first 3GPP standard version incorporating 6G will be completed by 2030. Early versions of 6G technology may be available for trial operation as early as 2028, and like previous generations of standards, it will take approximately ten years to develop. This is the vision announced by the Next G Alliance.
Before bringing next-generation mobile connectivity to market, international organizations discuss technical specifications to ensure interoperability. This ensures, for example, that your phone can be used worldwide.
The ITU and 3GPP are both well-known standardization organizations, and they have also established working groups to assess the progress of global 6G research.
Furthermore, technological development also takes time. Many 6G functions require new solutions that break with convention in both materials and methods to be realized, and developing such solutions also takes time.
The good news is that the telecommunications industry is rapidly moving towards the next generation of communications.
Taking Keysight Technologies as an example, we are leveraging our successful experience in the 5G and Open RAN fields to collaboratively develop solutions tailored to our needs and jointly lay a solid foundation for 6G.
We are also collaborating with market leaders to advance the testing and measurement of emerging 6G technologies. Every week brings exciting news of groundbreaking discoveries from companies or universities.
What's even more exciting is that we're getting closer to 6G every day. Building the internet of the future starts now. Our journey has just begun, and we eagerly await your participation.
