While 5G is still considered to be in a nascent stage, some of the biggest names in the Telecom sector have already begun looking towards 6G and its applications. As most developed countries have started to make the move towards this new technology, even developing countries are paying close attention to it. Thus, it could be possible that the transition from 5G to 6G might happen at an even faster pace as compared to the previous transitions (3G to 4G or 4G to 5G)

5G – How is it evolving

5G is the current cellular standard and is being rolled out at a rapid pace. It has tremendous scope to enable functionalities across artificial intelligence, data processing, and cellular communications. With IoT-enabled devices in mind, 5G connects a higher density of devices at higher speeds and makes things lag nearly non-existent. As a result, 5G creates an excellent user experience irrespective of the application, device, or service. With an array of future applications like smart cities, autonomous vehicles, security, and healthcare it also enables corporations to look at sustainability, energy production through smart grids, and smart environmental monitoring to reduce greenhouse gases and pollution. Although there was news of China testing 10G and a few other countries testing 8G, their commercial viability is still under question. The transition will be gradual and as a logical next step, 6G will be next to overtake the advancements of 5G.

6G – Inception

As the name suggests, 6G will succeed 5G, offering higher bandwidth and lower latency. In the past, on average, it has taken about a decade for a technology to move in from the research phase to implementation (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G). As an ongoing trend, every decade paves the way for the advancement of next-generation technology to kick in. Thus, it is expected that 2030 would be the year for the launch and rollout of 6G services across the globe. Some of the early research in this field along with the information on key consortiums is as follows:

• The University of Aveiro released a whitepaper in 2019, called “Why 6G?” that discusses the driving forces behind the development of the new network.
• In April 2019, SK Telecom, a South Korean telecom organization signed agreements with Ericsson, Samsung, and Nokia to jointly conduct research in 6G mobile network technology.
• In the U.S., some of the most well-known technology giants have joined the ‘Next G Alliance,’ launched by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) in October 2020. Apple, Google, Cisco, AT&T, Bell Canada, Ericsson, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., Samsung, T-Mobile, Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, LG Electronics, VMware, and many other names are part of this consortium.
• The University of Oulu in Finland has launched the 6Genesis research project to develop a 6G vision for 2030. The university has also signed a collaboration agreement with Japan’s Beyond 5G Promotion Consortium to coordinate the work of the Finnish 6G Flagship research on 6G technologies.
• A Korean tech company, LG Electronics, has also set up a research center to facilitate next-generation 6G networks and create new business opportunities.
• Finally, in August 2022, India and Australia said they will work together in framing an ethical regulatory framework for 6G technology. The partnership is imperative for ensuring an open, safe, and resilient cyberspace in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Need for 6G

• Faster than 5G technology

Operating at terahertz frequency bands, 6G will deliver a peak data rate of 1,000 gigabits/s having air latency of under 100 microseconds. When we talk about 5G vs 6G network speed, 6G speed is expected to be 100 times faster than 5G with enhanced reliability and wider network coverage.

• 6G wireless accelerates IoT after 5G

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a reality today. IoT solution implementations were very challenging with 4G, which was compensated by 5G. Moving ahead with 6G, we expect to connect ten times more devices per square kilometer with an increase in the number of connected devices in the upcoming years.

• Low latency in both G’s

4G networks had a latency of about 50 milliseconds (ms), whereas 5G networks had ten times lower latency than 4G i.e., 5ms. With 6G internet, latency will slip down to a range of 1millisecond to 1microsecond, lowering latency to five times that of a fifth-generation network making massive data transmissions possible in less than a second.

Use Cases for 6G

Like 5G, 6G has an array of applications that would enable better communication and user experience, especially in the Telecom industry.

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a major role both in the link and system-level solutions of 6G wireless networks.
• 3D Imaging and sensing will also gain multiple applications with the advent of 6G technologies.
• An expected move from smartphones to wearable devices is predicted with the ease of using virtual, augmented, or mixed reality capability.
• The concept of semantic communications (using the meaning of the messages for making connectivity and networking more efficient), is an important emerging area of research that is closely connected to semantic AI.
• Autonomous vehicles are also expected to be in more use with advances in wireless networks and distributed AI and sensing.

How prepared are we to experience 6G?

It is expected that by 2025, 57% of the global population would use mobile phones to access the web. This number is bound to increase by 2030 when 6G services are expected to roll out commercially. Thus, we might just be on our way to experiencing some breakthrough innovations in the years to come. IoT also promises to scale at a rapid pace with multiple device interoperability solutions in various healthcare and Telecom domains. The benefits offered by 6G in terms of low latency promise various possibilities in these fields. We might also question the need for Edge computing solutions, with the advancement of 6G bringing in better response times along with lower latency issues. Today 6G is in the research phase, but it promises a world of opportunities. We are yet to see it get implemented on the ground, but the possibilities are all the more exciting to wait and watch.

The Path Ahead

In spite of all the possibilities with 6G, it does come with a fair share of challenges. There are challenges in designing the 6G standard and implementations, including high-spectrum path loss, high computation requirements, and massive amounts of real-time information. The shift from 5G to 6G cannot happen overnight. The advancement of 5G technology requires strengthening its capabilities by bringing in more connected devices, data, and AI. The use cases of advanced 5G and their successful implementation will define the emergence of 6G and pave the path ahead. 6G promises to bring more reliability and speed. As we see, 5G evolves and improves, so we can be sure that the future holds the possibilities for hyperconnectivity and better user experience.