21 Jul 2019 | Walid Saad*, Mehdi Bennis†, and Mingzhe Chen‡.§.*
This paper presents a comprehensive vision for 6G wireless systems, focusing on applications, trends, technologies, and open research problems. The authors argue that 6G will not merely expand on 5G's capabilities but will instead be a convergence of emerging technologies driven by new services. The key drivers of 6G include applications such as multisensory extended reality (XR), connected robotics and autonomous systems (CRAS), wireless brain-computer interfaces (BCI), and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT). These applications demand new service classes, performance metrics, and technologies that go beyond 5G.
The paper outlines six major trends that will shape 6G: more bits, more spectrum, more reliability; from areal to volumetric spectral and energy efficiency; emergence of smart surfaces and environments; massive availability of small data; from self-organizing networks (SON) to self-sustaining networks (SSN); and convergence of communications, computing, control, localization, and sensing (3CLS). These trends will drive the development of new service classes, including mobile broadband reliable low latency communication (MBRLLC), massive URLLC, human-centric services, and multi-purpose 3CLS and energy services.
To support these services, the paper identifies several enabling technologies, including high-frequency bands beyond 6 GHz, integrated transceivers, communication with large intelligent surfaces, edge AI, integrated terrestrial, airborne, and satellite networks, energy transfer and harvesting, and beyond 6G technologies such as quantum computing and communications. The authors also propose a research agenda for 6G, highlighting open problems in 3D rate-reliability-latency fundamentals, 3D networking, communication with LIS, AI for wireless, QoPE metrics, joint communication and control, 3CLS, 6G protocol designs, RF and non-RF link integration, and holographic radio.
The paper concludes with recommendations for the 6G roadmap, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that integrates new applications, technologies, and research areas. The vision for 6G is not just about increasing capacity but about creating a more intelligent, flexible, and integrated wireless network that can support a wide range of future applications.This paper presents a comprehensive vision for 6G wireless systems, focusing on applications, trends, technologies, and open research problems. The authors argue that 6G will not merely expand on 5G's capabilities but will instead be a convergence of emerging technologies driven by new services. The key drivers of 6G include applications such as multisensory extended reality (XR), connected robotics and autonomous systems (CRAS), wireless brain-computer interfaces (BCI), and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT). These applications demand new service classes, performance metrics, and technologies that go beyond 5G.
The paper outlines six major trends that will shape 6G: more bits, more spectrum, more reliability; from areal to volumetric spectral and energy efficiency; emergence of smart surfaces and environments; massive availability of small data; from self-organizing networks (SON) to self-sustaining networks (SSN); and convergence of communications, computing, control, localization, and sensing (3CLS). These trends will drive the development of new service classes, including mobile broadband reliable low latency communication (MBRLLC), massive URLLC, human-centric services, and multi-purpose 3CLS and energy services.
To support these services, the paper identifies several enabling technologies, including high-frequency bands beyond 6 GHz, integrated transceivers, communication with large intelligent surfaces, edge AI, integrated terrestrial, airborne, and satellite networks, energy transfer and harvesting, and beyond 6G technologies such as quantum computing and communications. The authors also propose a research agenda for 6G, highlighting open problems in 3D rate-reliability-latency fundamentals, 3D networking, communication with LIS, AI for wireless, QoPE metrics, joint communication and control, 3CLS, 6G protocol designs, RF and non-RF link integration, and holographic radio.
The paper concludes with recommendations for the 6G roadmap, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that integrates new applications, technologies, and research areas. The vision for 6G is not just about increasing capacity but about creating a more intelligent, flexible, and integrated wireless network that can support a wide range of future applications.