6G Takes Shape Article Swipe
YOU?
·
· 2024
· Open Access
·
· DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/mbits.2024.3504521
· OA: W4404576599
The contours of 6G -- its key technical components and driving requirements\n-- are finally coming into focus. Through twenty questions and answers, this\narticle defines the important aspects of 6G across four categories. First, we\nidentify the key themes and forces driving the development of 6G, and what will\nmake 6G unique. We argue that 6G requirements and system design will be driven\nby (i) the tenacious pursuit of spectral (bits/Hz/area), energy (bits/Joule),\nand cost (bits/dollar) efficiencies, and (ii) three new service enhancements:\nsensing/localization/awareness, compute, and global broadband/emergency\nconnectivity. Second, we overview the important role of spectrum in 6G, what\nnew spectrum to expect in 6G, and outline how the different bands will be used\nto provide 6G services. Third, we focus our attention on the 6G physical layer,\nincluding waveforms, MIMO advancements, and the potential use of deep learning.\nFinally, we explore how global connectivity will be achieved in 6G, through\nnon-terrestrial networks as well as low-cost network expansion via\ndisaggregation and O-RAN. Although 6G standardization activities will not begin\nuntil late 2025, meaning this article is by definition speculative, our\npredictions are informed by several years of intensive research and\ndiscussions. Our goal is to provide a grounded perspective that will be helpful\nto both researchers and engineers as we move into the 6G era.\n
