NI explains 6G: the next generation of wireless communication technology
6G is at a stage where thought leaders from academia and industry are proposing possibilities and dreaming boldly about what the world will look like in 10 or 20 years. With futuristic use cases like the Tactile Internet, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of defining the next generation of cellular network communication standards, pursuing new technologies that push the boundaries of human cognition. But in many ways, our industry is still waiting to deliver on the promise of 5G, and with broader deployments and the next phase of 5G enhancements still well underway, we can’t help but ask: Why are we talking about 6G already?
The evolution of “G” in the communications industry
Starting with the first mobile phone call in 1973, which we later called “1G,” our industry has observed cellular technology evolve in roughly 10-year cycles. The 4G timeline unfolded between 2000 and 2010. 3GPP began working on 5G standardization in 2015, but by then academic research was well underway, with NYU Wireless and the EU 5G Research Project (METIS) established in 2012. The first phase of standardization was completed in Release 15 in 2018, with field testing in 2019 and expanded deployments starting in 2020. Today, this pattern looks stable, with early 6G research underway that will support a standardization launch in 2025 and a deployment timeline of 2030 or even earlier. While the scenario of consumers buying the first 6G products seems far away, academic and industry researchers at the forefront of these cycles are already experimenting and building understanding of key technologies that are critical to standardization.
What can 6G offer?
The International Telecommunication Union, which set the goals for 5G in the IMT-2020 standard, is now developing a vision for 6G under the Network 2030 Focus Group. They have grouped performance vectors (including throughput, reliability, coverage, latency, energy efficiency, cost, and massive connectivity) into three 5G use cases: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) to support a wide range of applications across multiple industries. 6G is expected to expand on these vectors, introducing new use cases and business models while driving the further development of existing applications. These include holographic interactive communications for fully immersive 3D experiences and the tactile Internet for real-time remote operations through auditory, visual, and tactile feedback. These application examples illustrate the importance of sensing to 6G: it is the basis for all interactions and simulations with the physical environment, and its potential has expanded to a wide range of fields such as digital health and autonomous driving.
Viable technologies for achieving 6G
As we look at the possibilities and promise of 6G, four candidate technologies stand out in terms of commercial opportunity and viability:
① Joint communications and sensing
The 6G experience will require more data and more contextual perception and awareness, and joint communications and perception is about exploring how to combine them. For example, autonomous vehicles have extremely complex sensing systems that fuse a range of data from camera, lidar, and radar sensors through machine learning algorithms. The advanced communications systems in these vehicles use cellular networks to transmit information and entertainment information, environmental and performance data, and vehicle-to-everything communications. Researchers working in sensing are looking to new communications technologies to help improve their results, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms or multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) phased arrays; while those working in communications see opportunities to gain more data bandwidth in the vast spectrum allocated by radar. The extent to which these two traditionally separate functions merge in the future will depend on regulatory and technical factors, but this combination is what potentially defines 6G.
② Asia Pacific Hertz
The continued demand for greater data bandwidth is driving researchers to explore underutilized spectrum in the sub-terahertz bands. The band between 90 GHz and 300 GHz offers many times more spectrum than is currently used for cellular communications. 3GPP has reserved 21.2 GHz above 100 GHz for consideration for 6G. Path loss at higher frequencies, one of the biggest barriers to advancing into the sub-terahertz bands, can potentially be mitigated by matching the band’s attenuation characteristics to the appropriate application. For example, high-attenuation bands could be used for high-security applications, limiting the distance a signal can travel. Additionally, the inverse relationship between frequency and antenna size offers a way to overcome path loss: as frequency increases, antenna geometry and spacing decrease, allowing more elements to fit in the same space, resulting in more gain. Although expansion into the sub-terahertz bands may seem premature given current delays in 5G millimeter wave deployments, leading industry and academic researchers are already exploring it as a way to significantly increase network capacity.
③ Evolution of MIMO
MIMO has great potential across many different use cases and frequency bands , and will continue to build on popular multi-antenna technologies . Beamforming is key to overcoming sub-terahertz path loss, and multi-user MIMO greatly improves spectral efficiency in the most widely used sub-8 GHz bands. Distributed MIMO breaks up large antenna arrays into multiple smaller , geographically separated radio heads and is particularly interesting for frequencies below 8 GHz , where antenna sizes become very large. Extensions to MIMO include more system antennas for more users, as well as more precise directional beam steering, designed to increase cell capacity and provide enhanced location services.
④ Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
The fourth technology that plays an important role is artificial intelligence and machine learning ( AI/ML). As complexity increases and we try to squeeze every bit of , it becomes increasingly difficult to optimize communication systems using traditional signal processing methods. Machine learning provides a way to address this complexity. AI/ML-driven design or adaptation seeks to dynamically optimize link performance , which can be improved through features such as automatic spectrum allocation, beam management, and RF non-ideal elimination . Deploying AI/ML at the application layer can optimize quality of service (QoS), taking into account application- specific requirements as well as environmental factors such as latency or energy efficiency . The availability of large open datasets for AI/ML wireless communication research and training will play an important role in 6G development.
Finding the killer app
While these 6G candidate technologies all offer a variety of possibilities, they inevitably live or die by commercial applications. The costs of developing and deploying these technologies are high, and the multi-billion dollar investments require large, predictable returns and raise the age-old question: "What is the killer app?"
In recent global events, we’ve relied heavily on online connections and virtual experiences—and many of us have a new appreciation for reliable, high-speed networks. In addition to popular technology buzzwords (technologies like immersive XR) and key performance indicators (like 1 Tb/s data rates), the 6G discussion also includes social and sustainable development goals, as well as “connecting everyone.” As we work to build on 5G beyond enhanced mobile broadband, and the definition of 6G begins to coalesce, the answers to these business and social questions may be as important as the technical ones.
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