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With the rapid rollout of 5G technology around the world, reaching around 1.5 billion subscribers worldwide by the end of 2023, researchers are already racing to develop 6G, the next generation of mobile networks. While China and the US are leading the way in 6G patents, South Korean scientists remain a strong contender in the global race for 6G leadership.
Scientists from South Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) presented their latest 6G research at the 6G Symposium 2024 Spring in Oulu, Finland. The presentations, held April 9-11, highlighted South Korea’s research into “service mesh” technology, which will be a key component of future mobile networks. The research addresses the challenges of communication in complex network environments where numerous functions are dynamically created and removed, a key feature of the envisioned 6G architecture.
Unlike current 4G and 5G networks, which rely heavily on dedicated hardware, 6G networks will use a more flexible software-based approach. This change coincides with global research efforts focused on areas such as terahertz communications, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and AI integration.
A Multi-Pronged Strategy for Service Mesh
ETRI’s service mesh technology aims to solve key challenges in this new paradigm.
1. Reduce network procedures by more than 80% and significantly reduce communication delays.
2. The network structure is simplified, reducing the number of steps a data packet needs to take from 24 to four.
3. Network functions separate business logic from communication logic, allowing for more efficient signal processing.
These improvements could help lay the foundation for delivering 6G performance expectations, which include speeds of hundreds of gigabits per second and sub-millisecond latency in certain scenarios.
The foundation for future mobile networks
“This technology has the potential to become the foundation of future mobile networks, enabling faster and more efficient communication services,” Namseok Ko, head of ETRI’s Mobile Core Network Research Division, said in a press release. “This brings us closer to the vision of 6G, which will enable fully autonomous vehicles, immersive virtual reality and even holographic communications.”
ETRI plans to scale up and commercialize the technology through a project supported by the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT. The research is part of the ministry’s broader “International Collaborative Research on 6G Network Architecture and Core Technologies” initiative, highlighting the importance of global collaboration in the development of these complex systems.
The foundations laid by ETRI and other global researchers in 6G technologies will be crucial as 5G adoption continues to accelerate, predicted to reach 5.3 billion subscribers worldwide by 2029. Their work will not only shape the future of mobile communications, but also address key challenges such as energy efficiency, security and integration with emerging technologies.
