6G: Vision to Realization

6G: Vision to Realization

<p>As Head of Wireless Labs, I have the privilege of guiding our wireless research, innovation, and standards contributions towards the goal of enhancing and improving wireless network communications. InterDigital has been at the forefront of research and innovation shaping 6G for more than five years, and I can confidently say that the vision for 6G is clearer today with important steps we have taken in partnership with academia, industry partners, and standard development organizations. As we and other member companies begin the standardization process in 3GPP to determine what 6G should be, I&rsquo;d like to take a moment to summarize how we will realize 6G by 2030.</p>
<p>Reflecting back on key milestones from 2024, there are a few highlights worth mentioning. In May, the 3GPP Stage 1 Workshop on IMT 2030 use cases was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This workshop was geared towards developing a high-level view of the next-generation services and helping to reach a greater degree of clarity around various initiatives related to the 6G use cases and defining their requirements. The 3GPP SA1 working group is going through careful evaluation of 6G use cases with operators interests of commercialization and monetization in mind. We expect this effort to conclude later this year.</p>
<p>In 6G discussions, many are familiar with the &ldquo;6G Usage Scenarios&rdquo; borne out of the IMT-2030 visioning process, which is illustrated at left. The center of this graphic illustrates the 5G triangle, representing 5G&rsquo;s foundational features of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). Encircling this is a six-pointed hexagon that enhances the existing 5G framework and adds new features with the introduction of 6G.</p>
<div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 20px;"><img style="width: 33%; margin-right: 20px;" src="https://www.interdigital.com/resources/uploads/blog_posts/IMT-2030.png" alt="IMT-2030" />
<div style="width: 66%;">
<p>As we transition from 5G-Advanced to 6G, the 5G pillars will be expanded and enhanced to support new usage opportunities for the next G. We can expect that eMBB will evolve to support <strong>Immersive Communication</strong>, URLLC will advance into <strong>Hyper-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication</strong>, and mMTC will expand its capacity to include <strong>Massive Communication</strong>. 6G will also add new capabilities, including <strong>Integrated AI and Communication</strong>, which enables the use of AI across the network to support new applications and services, along with greater network automation, optimization, and efficiency.</p>
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<p>6G&rsquo;s advancements will also support <strong>ubiquitous connectivity</strong>, to better connect and enable the use of mobile phones, satellites, connected vehicles, drones, and other IoT devices anywhere. Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the capability of <strong>Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC)</strong> will be introduced in 6G. In effect, ISAC will equip every 6G base station and device with sensor-like capabilities to detect connected and unconnected objects across an environment, to support better quality of service and experience for the variety of new use cases 6G will spur.</p>
<p>Outlining the updated 6G hexagon are the principles and intentions upon which this 6G vision is built. As an industry, we envision 6G as an evolution of our technological capabilities to empower a future based on the shared principles of <strong>security, privacy and resilience, sustainability, ubiquitous intelligence</strong>, and <strong>connecting the unconnected</strong> around the world.</p>
<p>A more detailed view of enhanced 5G capabilities and new 6G capabilities as depicted in IMT-2030 vision is captured below and also illustrates some of the points made above.</p>
<p><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.interdigital.com/55bd0288af0b0930ba599bd0c4b7ca38/resources/uploads/direct_editor_uploads/IMT_2030_Capabilities.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>It is also important to note that an upper mid-band with a Frequency Range (FR) spanning from 7 GHz to 24 GHz, also known as FR3, has emerged as a new spectrum for 6G communications. This valuable new spectrum balances coverage, capacity, and deployment for typical scenarios when compared to FR1 (less than 6Ghz) and FR2 (mmW above 24Ghz).</p>
<p>Thanks to Doug Castor, Co-Chair of the ATIS&rsquo;s Next G Alliance National 6G Roadmap Working Group, Alain Mourad, Chair of ETSI&rsquo;s ISAC Industry Specification Group (ISG), and Arman Shojaeifard, Chair of ETSI&rsquo;s Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), and many other colleagues from InterDigital and the global ecosystem, who not only have made the 6G vision come into a clearer view possible, but over the past two years have made tangible progress in outlining the steps and milestones on the roadmap to realize 6G.</p>
<p><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.interdigital.com/55bd0288af0b0930ba599bd0c4b7ca38/resources/uploads/direct_editor_uploads/6G_Timeline.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>In practice, the ITU-R determines the milestones and cadence for approving the 6G standard. This work began with a framework process that kicked off in 2019. Our engineers are participating in establishing 6G requirements and evaluation criteria which will continue until 2026. We expect a period of actual evaluation and consensus building will take place from 2026 - 2028, with the start of development of the 6G specification in 2027, and its final approval around 2030.</p>
<p>The ITU-R timeline aligns with complementary and concurrent work being done within 3GPP to realize the 6G standard. For reference, the current 3GPP release of 5G-Advanced, Release 19, is in the specification phase today, which includes the studies being conducted on pre-6G channel models to support the new technologies made possible under 6G, such as Integrated Sensing and Communications and Near Field Communications. Work on Release 20 will begin this year and include two parallel tracks; specification for 5G-Advanced and studies for 6G. 3GPP working groups have begun to collect views from 3GPP member companies around the world on what 6G should be. This is a crucial year when we expect to start transitioning from 5G-Advanced to 6G and bring clarity on the 6G content. The first 6G release specification will be Release 21 which is expected to be available in 2029-2030 timeframe. Many of our engineers, rapporteurs and feature leads with deep experience in 4G and 5G are at the center stage of 6G realization working side-by-side with other 3GPP member company engineers guided by our Diana Pani (RAN2 WG Chair) and Atle Monrad (SA6 WG Chair) along with other WG Chairs.</p>
<p>The concurrent nature of the ITU-R and 3GPP&rsquo;s 6G timelines enable us to keep both a high-level and ground-level approach to deploying 6G, ensuring that the next G upholds both the fundamental principles in improving people&rsquo;s lives and economic growth.</p>
<p>In conclusion, while 6G is still being defined we can certainly say that we have made significant progress towards 6G realization, and some colleagues would <a href="https://www.interdigital.com/post/crucial-conversations-on-the-road-to-6g-standards">argue that we are halfway there</a> towards the 1st 6G release. As a company that has contributed to every generation of wireless over the last half century, we&rsquo;re excited to welcome the new advances in communication, innovative experiences, and new services that will be made possible as we continue paving the road to 6G.</p>