Exploring the 6G Frontier-Cellular Revolution 2.0

The 6G commercialization is expected by 2030, The 3GPP standards are also few years away -CSP’s and NEPs are still driving 5G and finding ways to monetize – this is expected to be the driver for 6G to come in. There are few new concepts which will influence the 3GPP standardization of 6G.

The buzz word like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation had given a paradigm shift in the wireless communication. This all requirements had led to inception of 6G which would aim “Connected Machines”, “AI Based Communication”, “Open Network”, “Complex Use Cases”. The key principles for 6G would be.

·        Extreme efficiency on existing and new spectrum

·        AI-native 6G RAN for rapid introduction of new services

·        Efficient 5G-6G MultiRadio Spectrum Sharing (MRSS)

·        Scalable 6G RAT for diverse device types from IoT to higher capability

·        Single stand-alone streamlined and lean architecture

·        Enhanced cyber-security assurance, user privacy, reliability and resilience

6G Release 21 is expected by March 2029-  Refer - https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/workshop/2025-03-10_3GPP_6G_WS/Docs/6GWS-250234.zip

Deep dive into the above focus areas

Extreme efficiency on existing and new spectrum

World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) lays the foundation for the new spectrum which are under consideration to build 6G network.

Refarm or Reuse of exiting 5G spectrum to 6G and New proposed spectrum to boost data rates and enhance wide area capacity.

Leveraging the exiting spectrum 6G aims to improve spectral efficiency (below 6 GHz) and boost coverage and capacity, addressing the growing demand for mobile data traffic in wide area. 6G will use wider bandwidths in the upper mid-band spectrum range to enable high-performance applications like immersive extended reality (XR) and generative AI.

 This aims to enhance the network efficiency through Spectral efficiency, Energy efficiency, Coverage efficiency and Operational efficiency

  AI-native 6G RAN for rapid introduction of new services.  

Artificial Intelligence -AI will value add to the 6G network. AI-enabled 6G will help CSP’s to drive revenue, network performance, and reducing operational costs. The AI/ML features in 5G-Advanced 3GPP standards form the foundation for 6G, such as the Release 18 and 19 study and work items on AI in radio as well as the introduction of Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) and its further generalization and extensions with the Data Collection Coordination Function (DCCF) in 5G core. 

AI-RAN Alliance (https://ai-ran.org/) in collaboration with CSP’s and NEP’s will be pivotal in shaping the future of 6G networks by developing the necessary standards, technologies, and frameworks that leverage AI to automate and optimize network operations.

Key focus for the alliance in 6G network would be.

·        AI-driven automation to enable SON enabled 6G networks, reducing manual intervention and ensuring continuous network efficiency and performance.

·        AI to manage ultra-low latency requirements and provide high-precision control for real-time services like autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and immersive AR/VR use cases

·        Network slices in real time, optimizing network resources for diverse 6G use cases (e.g., smart cities, IoT, and critical communications)

·        AI-driven solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of 6G networks by optimizing infrastructure and adapting to real-time demand

Efficient 5G-6G MultiRadio Spectrum Sharing (MRSS)

MRSS (Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing) will enable 6G to leverage existing 5G infrastructure and spectrum, it will share the same spectrum and improve the overall coverage of 6G networks by leveraging the wide-area coverage of 5G in lower frequency bands, complementing the high-capacity, higher frequency bands of 6G. This would need reengineering of Physical layer, waveforms and numerologies between 5G and 6G technology. 

 Scalable 6G RAT for diverse device types from IoT to higher capability

The key goal would be the 6G network should support low-power IoT sensors to high-capacity, high-mobility devices like AR headsets or autonomous vehicles and to achieve this scalable RAT considerable amount of work must be done to achieve a Unified Air interface with scalable numerologies and waveforms to adapt dynamically to device types and context of use cases.

AI-driven automated spectrum allocation and network slicing for Intelligent and context-aware spectrum usage to avoid congestion and reduce interference will be a key to accommodate such diverse devices in a single access technology. AI tailored PHY/MAC strategies to the specific device profile and mobility pattern of devices will also be a concept to adopt

 Single stand-alone streamlined and lean architecture

The 6G overall System Design would consider

·        Lean and simple design with respect to RAN and Core network, some air interface design (e.g., waveform, modulation, channel coding) can be enhanced, building on 5G NR.

·        Interoperability – the scalable and modular design should have interoperable interfaces and unified management framework

·        AI- Native design for intelligent automation, optimization and improved efficiency

·        Cloud Native architecture for flexibility, agility and innovation

·         Seamless integration with terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks

·        Support for IOT devices from Day 1 of deployment

·        Enabling a software aware intelligent network powered by AI and service Aware 6G RAN

·        unified network exposure framework for simplifying the 3GPP-wide exposure framework to foster an API economy of scale

·        Integrate and interoperate with various access technologies, including fixed wireless access (FWA) and Wi-Fi.

A single architecture towards 6G network- This is just the current views – options need to be evolved as 6G concepts become more mature (No 5G – 6G dual connectivity it is just MRSS control)

Enhanced cyber-security assurance, user privacy, reliability, and resilience.

The security challenges in 6G will be a key topic because the technology is enabled to support a massive device connectivity which enables wide attack surface. 6G will be heavy with AI integrated model which is prone to attack e.g., data poisoning, adversarial ML. The Terahertz communication and decentralized/cloud native design of 6G will attract attacks at the edge and in different infrastructures, in a nutshell the threats can be from

·        Different devices at the end point

·        AI/ML security threat

·        Open Interfaces and disaggregation

·        Cloud native threats

·        Quantum Computing threats

The possible solution or techniques to adopt can be

·        AI-Driven Threat Detection

·        Cloud security

·        Privacy preserving technologies

·        Quantum-safe system- Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)

·        L2 Security, Physical Layer Security: Using signal characteristics (e.g., channel randomness) to secure communication

·        Highly automated identity management, scalable authentication- Federated Learning: Secure and private AI model training without sharing raw data

 SERVICES ENVISAGED IN 6G.

The 5G services, i.e., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) will continue to improve and enhanced moving towards 6G. It will drive innovation in multiple industries below are the list of use cases being proposed initially for study

• Immersive Cloud XR

• Holographic Communications

• Sensory Interconnection

• Intelligent Interaction

• Communication for Sensing

• Proliferation of Intelligence

• Digital Twins

Immersive Cloud XR- The Users can interact in real-time with hyper-realistic virtual environments through lightweight AR/VR devices. 6G networks are expected to enable immersive communications and bridge the physical and virtual worlds, impacting entertainment, education, and healthcare. 

Holographic Communications- The power of 6G will be used for transmitting and displaying 3D images, creating the illusion of a real-time, interactive presence, even across vast distances. Holographic communication has the potential to transform various industries, including business, education, healthcare, and entertainment. 

Sensory Interconnection- This aims to integrate human senses with digital communication for richer experiences, enabling multisensory interaction in virtual and physical spaces. 6G technology will be used to explores the possibility of incorporating senses like smell, taste, and haptics, potentially extending the reach of virtual and augmented reality beyond the visual realm

Intelligent Interaction- This would enable people may be able to interact with devices or control machines via brain-machine interfaces.

Communication for Sensing- This use case aims for deeper integration for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. This would improve localization accuracy and perform millimetre level imaging using future portable devices.

Proliferation of Intelligence- This use case aims to enhance network performance, optimize resource allocation, and enable new applications and services by integrating the AI and ML at various level of network like edge or core devices.

Digital Twins- Aims for the virtual replica of network to enhance design, simulation, analysis, and optimization of network performance and infrastructure.