Even the most ambitious projections estimate that 6G networks won’t be rolled out for another five years. While carriers are still ramping up their 5G efforts, telecom industry insiders recognize that now is the time to think about the next standard. Like the EU, governments around the world have already launched the second phase of his 6G research and innovation programs. Industry players such as Nokia, Docomo, and NTT are collaborating on this technology, and academic institutions are also increasing their focus on 6G.
This preparation for the next G must run in parallel with existing efforts to operationalize and commercialize 5G. To play a competitive role in the global connectivity landscape over the next decade and beyond, telecom industry players must ensure that 6G is fully operational when it actually arrives, likely in or around 2030. We recognize that we need to start adjusting our network capabilities.
Global Head of Products and Research at DE-CIX.
Is 5G putting the cart before the horse than 6G?
But for many businesses, preparing for 6G feels premature. They have not yet exploited the full potential of 5G. Although 5G footprint is steadily expanding around the world, there is still a long way to go and scaling up 5G services will not be smooth sailing. For example, while spectrum availability will help accelerate his 5G development, Analysis Mason said key markets like the US face a shortage of bandwidth compared to their global peers. The creaky connectivity infrastructure also poses considerable technical challenges for companies looking to ramp up their 5G initiatives.
Just as the roadmap to 5G included stepping stones from 4G to standalone 5G in the form of LTE and RAN-enabled 5G, the transition between standalone 5G and 6G will require intermediate steps. Become. This evolution of the 5G standard, also known as “5G Advanced,” is scheduled to roll out in 2025 and improves on current 5G capabilities, including innovations such as wireless AI that enables network automation and increased network intelligence. To do.
Preparation for 6G
Concepts like self-driving cars, smart cities, and Industry 4.0 were once distant thought experiments. Thanks to the continued evolution of the 5G stack and advancements in AI/ML, cloud computing, and related technologies, these are rapidly becoming mainstream technologies that we can expect to see in every car, road, and factory. can.
For some of these use cases, self-driving cars being a prime example, every millisecond of delay is critical. For these use cases to work, networks must process and exchange vast amounts of data in real time. Getting the most out of 5G will require increased infrastructure investment, a fundamental requirement for many of 5G’s most talked about innovations. This not only means more 5G antennas and fiber backhaul, but also more IT infrastructure, such as denser and interconnected data centers and internet exchanges.
In fact, all future use cases, including 5G Advanced and, in the future, 6G, rely on much greater interconnectivity that facilitates the processing of large amounts of real-time data.
What will 6G actually look like?
Beyond 5G Advanced, commercial deployment of 6G is expected to begin in 2030. These feature advances in capacity, functionality, and efficiency in future iterations of mobile network technology, driven by the need to support connectivity for increasingly sophisticated use cases. Technologies in development include high-resolution digital twins, hyper-realistic virtual medical consultations, and holographic type communication (HTC) that enables beaming of a 3D holographic representation of a participant into an in-person consultation. included. Face to face.
6G also presents the potential for ubiquitous global 3D mobile coverage, integrating high-altitude platforms and LEO satellite constellations to provide truly global coverage on land, sea, and altitude. We can’t be sure about these capabilities until the next standard begins to mature, but we have some good indicators based on current innovation and experimentation that major industry players are prioritizing. Masu. For example, Nokia is researching the sensing capabilities of his 6G mobile network. This enables networks to sense physical objects in the environment, enabling innovative developments that facilitate use cases such as autonomous driving.
The predicted performance numbers for 6G are impressive, with peak data rates expected to be in the terabits per second range, a significant increase for 5G. Air interface delays are further reduced to 10 to 100 microseconds. Connectivity density will increase to 10 million devices per km2, and you can expect a 5x increase in radio spectrum efficiency. It should be noted here that further enabling technologies such as terahertz (Thz) communications, visible light communications (VLC), and 3D network architectures need to be developed.
The telecommunications community’s goals for 6G reflect not only incredible speeds, but also other important global concerns about sustainability. For example, the following standards may be designed to be more energy efficient:
What needs to happen next?
Cutting-edge mobile communications technology has great potential for all industries in all sectors around the world, operating secure and efficient digital use cases not only in business but across people’s personal lives. However, realizing these benefits depends on developing a connectivity infrastructure that supports the seamless transfer of vast amounts of data at high bandwidth and very low latency, both wirelessly and over the Internet backbone. I am. Building the supporting infrastructure will require investments in mobile hardware and collaboration with more densely distributed, automated, and scalable Internet exchanges. For example, you can connect your mobile network to a fixed line or satellite network, or to content, apps, and content. Services enabled by 6G.
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