Editor's note
In November 2023, Purdue University, together with Ericsson, Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Dell, released the report "6G Global Roadmap Classification Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "Roadmap"). With the gradual advancement of 5G deployment, the current global focus has shifted to the advancement of 6G key technologies, their maturity and related standards. The roadmap believes that in the future, the issue of wireless standards will rise to a key position in international technology and national strategy. The roadmap identifies 12 key technology areas for 6G, analyzes and assesses the maturity of each technology area, and examines the need for coordination of 6G research efforts at the level of consensus partners, alliances, standards organizations, and government regulators. The Institute of Electronic Information of CCID Think Tank has compiled the roadmap, hoping to be helpful to the relevant departments on the mainland.
【Keywords】6G technology route, standards body, industry alliance
Compile | Institute of Electronic Information, CCID Think Tank
1. Overview
For various public/private network deployment scenarios, 6G networks not only have faster network speeds, lower latency, and better network coverage, but also have more connected devices than the number of people on earth, providing basic network services for all walks of life.
The drafting unit of the roadmap includes Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm and other six companies, and the lead unit of the roadmap is Purdue University in the United States. The Roadmap sets out 12 enabling network architectures, protocols, and tools to be adopted during the 10-year evolution from 5G to 6G, including: advancing ultra-low latency applications, enabling intermittent network connectivity, establishing wireless service platforms, increasing cellular density, scaling edge and fog computing, sharing spectrum, using sub-terahertz spectrum bands, sharing infrastructure, using open interfaces, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, wireless networks, and satellite Internet.
The Roadmap outlines the potential societal impacts of these technologies, which can be used as a foundational tool for policy development and useful assistance to policymakers. At the same time, it is strongly recommended that the United States increase 5G deployment as soon as possible, and more 5G infrastructure deployment and application landing is the only way to achieve 6G.
II. Introduction
Over the past decade, high-speed wireless communication has become a necessity. This trend makes the future wireless network standard an urgent issue for the global technology and public policy implications. In addition, the number of wireless network devices and the demand for wireless network data continue to skyrocket. In order to meet the growing demand, there is an urgent need for innovation in both the field of technology and public policy.
Wireless networks follow international standards set by businesses and research groups around the world. Since the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the dominant standard driving the growth of wireless networks has been the 4G Long Term Evolution Technology Standard (LTE) and its derivatives. Over the past few years, network deployments have shifted to 5G New Radio (NR), a new technology that improves on long-term evolution techniques through a variety of radio and network layer enhancements. Both the Long-Term Evolution Technology Standard and the New Radio Technology Standard are developed by the Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP), which is expected to be the setting body for important standards for mobile cellular access in the coming years. Discussions on 6G are currently underway around the world, such as the NextG Alliance in the United States, Hexa-X in the European Union, the IMT-20306G Promotion Group of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), and the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) in South Korea. While all of these organizations have shown great interest in 6G, there are still many questions that need to be addressed, such as what exactly should be achieved in 6G development, and how it can be fully implemented in the next decade, and how it can be completely different from what 5G can provide today. This technology classification roadmap provides an overall view of the technology and policy needs that 6G must address.
The roadmap finds that the social significance of 6G has unique characteristics and has been integrated into four social concerns: sustainability, trustworthiness, digital inclusion, and scalability.
Scalability: The amount of data used per device per year is growing exponentially. At the same time, the use of applications is also growing. In the future, there will be more devices using 6G than the planet's population, and 6G will be the foundation for other digital domains. To meet the needs of today's unknown future wireless networks, scalable wireless solutions should be available.
Sustainability: Energy demand affects almost all areas of engineering and policy. However, technology solutions that rely solely on hardware innovation cannot meet future wireless network needs and can be hampered by potential shortages of materials used in battery manufacturing. It is necessary to improve energy efficiency and reduce the sustainability of power consumption.
Trustworthiness: The widespread availability of communication and computing devices and their decreasing costs have revolutionized the world. However, this ubiquity and diversity of device production has also created security issues that have not been felt in commercial wireless networks before. 6G networks must focus on creating a "built-in" approach to security.
Digital inclusion: The Internet has enabled significant economic and social progress in many parts of the world. However, there are still many parts of the world, including developed countries, that still do not have access to broadband wireless network services. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve wireless network services in rural areas and third world countries through innovative wireless networks.
This roadmap examines the technology areas that are expected to drive 6G development, as well as the important issues facing these focus areas. Technological innovations include various radio enhancement technologies (such as higher data rates using new frequency bands and improved signals), changes in network deployment, including how carriers install and use base stations and how functions are distributed in edge computing networks, and new computing and software solutions that are expected to disrupt the wireless ecosystem and supply chain.
This roadmap begins with background information on wireless spectrum, allocation, and regulation, which are important for many technological innovations. Secondly, the specific key technology areas that are very important for the 6G system are briefly elaborated, and the social impact of each focus area is examined. Finally, from the perspective of standardization and national-level partnerships, the work that needs to be done to achieve 6G technology innovation is discussed.
III. Background: Wireless spectrum and spectrum allocation
In wireless systems, spectrum may be the most valuable resource. The transmitter's signal transmission frequency is usually tightly regulated, which means that the transmitter must limit the signal to a predetermined frequency range that can be recognized by a set of receivers.
Spectrum is a key driver of network capacity, and each new generation of wireless communications increases network capacity. In the absence of new spectrum to be allocated, the way to increase capacity and coverage is to increase the density of base station deployments, i.e., to add base stations in an area. However, due to the cost involved in deploying and maintaining new base stations, increasing the density of base station deployments means increased investment costs for MNOs and may be subject to local regulations or supporting infrastructure.
There are two avenues to increase network capacity that involve spectrum without increasing deployment density. The first path is to improve the spectrum efficiency of the network, for example by using new algorithms, hardware, and/or network design. The second route is to use new spectrum to transmit data using network frequencies that were previously unavailable.
Technology enhancements and standardization generally focus on the spectral efficiency of networks. This approach faces a variety of complex engineering challenges, and often requires new modeling breakthroughs and hardware enhancements, which is quite technically difficult. On the other hand, new spectrum allocations present a number of challenges in terms of public policy, regulations and economic implications.
The 6G spectrum can be broadly divided into the following five categories: sub-1GHz bands (sub-1GHz), mid-bands, upper-mid bands, millimeter wave (mmW) and sub-terahertz bands (sub-THz). Sub-1GHz has a long history of use, and cellular providers have developed wireless networking technology in the 600MHz-900MHz band for more than 20 years. The distinguishing feature of the sub-1GHz spectrum is excellent network coverage but limited capacity, making it suitable for early cellular networks that support voice and limited data services. This spectrum can be used for Internet of Things (IoT) applications in 6G where low traffic and reliable connectivity are critical.
As capacity demand grows and government allocations are arranged, mid-band spectrum (roughly 1GHz-7GHz) is the driving force behind 4G and 5G deployments. The digital cellular 4GLTE revolution was fueled by spectrum availability in the 2GHz frequency range and the broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS) and later Advanced Mobile Services (AWS) bands. With data demand growing exponentially, 5G deployments have acquired the 3GHz-4GHz band, and leveraging this spectrum requires a combination of technological improvements, such as the use of large-scale multi-antenna systems and network densification, to ensure adequate capacity and coverage.
In the case of 5G, the use of mmWave spectrum covering frequencies in the 24GHz-71GHz range can meet the extreme capacity needs. However, these frequency bands meet the requirements of large capacity, but the spectrum range is limited, and in order to meet the propagation characteristics, very dense base stations need to be deployed, which can still meet the above requirements in hot spots, but the cost of achieving wide-area coverage is too high.
6G deployments are expected to use the above spectrum ranges and introduce new frequency bands dedicated to 6G. As capacity demand increases, it will be necessary to confirm that the new spectrum is sufficient. Network coverage requirements also play an important role in selecting the right spectrum range:
For applications that require large capacities, but do not require wide area coverage, sub-terahertz spectrum in the 100GHz-300GHz frequency range may be appropriate.
For applications that require high capacity and wide area coverage, mid- and high-band spectrum (ranging from the 7GHz-16GHz band) may be appropriate.
Wireless standards also take into account the possibility of different groups of users sharing spectrum. For example, the concept of spectrum sharing between commercial bands and rarely used government bands is the use of Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) around 3.5 GHz. Spectrum sharing between commercial technologies needs to take into account the practical implications.
Traditional non-wireless broadband systems are often decades old. During the 5G operator debate over radar altimeters, operators want to use other mid-band spectrum closer to the area where the radar altimeter operates. Even though these bands are still more than 200 MHz apart, the older receivers used in radar altimeters are still susceptible to interference from adjacent bands. Governments must find ways to encourage spectrum users to update their equipment to avoid out-of-band interference. Wireless broadband operators, on the other hand, have strong signal processing capabilities and a variety of hardware that can limit interference by providing the appropriate auxiliary information.
Fourth, 6G technology innovation
(1) Classification of 12 technological innovations for 6G
The Roadmap identifies 12 key technology areas for 6G. Each focus area is at a different level of readiness/maturity, ranked from high (one to two years) to low (more than five years). These focus areas can also be divided into different network/communication stack layers, from low to high: radio frequency (RF)/physical (PHY) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, network (NET)/transport (TRANS) layer, and application (APP) layer. Figure 1 summarizes 12 technologies based on a rough breakdown of readiness/maturity levels and network/communication stack layer dimensions.
Figure 1: Key 6G technology areas by protocol layer and technology readiness
The roadmap breaks down the technologies based on the deployment environment and target settings shown in Figure 2, providing an overview of the technologies in each of the 12 focus areas, including their level of readiness and the various innovations underway.
Figure 2: Key 6G technology areas by primary target deployment environment
(2) Technical description
1. Ultra-low latency and delay tolerance
The application goal of leveraging 5G to address vertical markets has further expanded the range of many critical network parameters, including latency. However, the requirements for parameters such as latency are different in different application scenarios, and some applications require extremely low latency and high reliability. In 6G, with the further expansion of vertical markets, the demand for performance indicators such as latency for low-latency applications has also increased. Since the 4G standard, low latency technology has been a hot topic in the research community, and from the perspective of existing product standards, related low latency technology has become the cornerstone of 5G, and the technology required to achieve ultra-low latency has matured and is expected to be further improved in 6G. At present, the research on ultra-low latency and delay tolerance has passed the stage of technical feasibility verification and application, and more attention is paid to the trade-off between energy consumption and performance.
2. Network optimization based on artificial intelligence/machine learning
With the increasing complexity of networks, such as changes in new technologies and design methodologies such as network densification, network slicing, and evolvable network topologies, as well as the increase in wireless link functions such as massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO), spectrum sharing, etc., traditional optimization methods embedded in early standards present increasing challenges, and the need for automated network optimization using artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) is increasing. However, the relevant research is still in the definition stage of network architecture and interface supporting AI/ML network optimization, and there are many problems that need to be solved, such as inapplicability and high complexity of the technology itself, and the robustness1, security and effectiveness of the adaptation between the technology and mobile communication networks still need to be studied at a deeper level, and the application of network optimization technology driven by artificial intelligence/machine learning is still in a relatively early stage.
3. Wireless service platform
Technological advances in computing infrastructure have enabled solutions previously developed on specialized hardware to move to software running on general-purpose computing platforms, a shift that has been further strengthened by the impact of cloud computing technologies. In the evolution of mobile network systems from 4G to 5G, the workload of software-based solution services has gradually increased, and is expected to increase further in 6G. However, deploying a radio access network on a cloud platform requires strict latency constraints and high reliability requirements, specific hardware customization for critical functions, and a smarter network optimization approach. Under the influence of the immaturity of network optimization solutions such as AI/ML and the difficulty of customizing specific hardware, the wireless service platform based on cloud platform is still in a relatively early stage, and the maturity of software and hardware needs to be further improved.
4. Intermittent connection and communication
Intermittent connectivity and communication have always been fundamental design elements of network systems. In the case of rapid changes in network throughput, active devices require a large amount of network resources in a short period of time, but the devices usually remain idle for a longer period of time, and intermittent connections and communication can effectively avoid the waste of network resources. Intermittent connectivity and communication technologies have always been the focus of research on wireless networks, and many of the networking and transport technologies that support intermittent connectivity and communication have reached a high level of maturity in the current environment. For example, cellular discontinuous reception technology for idle and connected states has been around since the 2G era and is optimized in 5G networks to improve network resources and energy efficiency. In general, under the demand for new 6G application scenarios, some intermittent communication of 6G machine-to-machine communication and energy efficiency need to meet four major requirements, including expanding support for machine-to-machine communication, sustainability and improving energy efficiency, reducing latency, and digital inclusion. It can be considered that intermittent connection and communication technology is in a relatively mature stage, and how to quickly improve the parameters suitable for the 5G era to 6G requirements is the main challenge at present.
Figure 3: Intermittent machine-to-machine communication and 6G expansion at 5G NR
5. Large-scale edge computing and fog computing
Since 2010, in order to solve the problems of high latency of cloud computing and high complexity of edge computing, fog computing combining cloud computing and edge computing has been proposed, as shown in Figure 4, fog computing uses intermediate network nodes (such as routers, base stations, and intermediate servers) connecting the edge and the cloud to achieve optimization tasks, and can intelligently coordinate computing storage and network services between terminal equipment and cloud computing data centers, which overcomes some of the problems of cloud computing and edge computing to a certain extent. The 6G wireless network is a key component of fog computing and determines the routing mechanism of the task, i.e., from the edge computing device, which is the starting point of the task, to the rest of the computing infrastructure. The preliminary research on the emerging field of "fog learning" aims to orchestrate various AI/ML tasks through fog networks, and intelligently orchestrate various network resources in the cloud-to-IoT continuum, so as to deal with increasingly complex computing tasks according to scale and latency requirements. At this stage, the technical level is more about the possibility of fog computing to improve the quality of service, latency and energy consumption indicators, and there is still a certain distance from further improvement and practical stage.
Figure 4: Fog computing aims to coordinate computing resources to process data tasks in a "cloud-to-thing continuum."
6. Share infrastructure with a virtual layer
End-to-end virtualization is a key trait required to support a multi-tenant, multi-carrier shared environment. 5G has gradually begun to replace traditional fixed-function, dedicated hardware solutions with CPU-based architectures that provide software services. Integrating virtualization into communications systems enables operators to deploy more network functions on a single platform, significantly improving flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Both lab experiments and field pilot deployments have shown that the telecom industry's transition to virtualized RAN is well underway. At the 6G network level, the new open radio access network and carrier shared infrastructure model has the characteristics of improving the sustainability of hardware energy efficiency, scalability to meet the needs of metaverse/immersive/haptic internet, trustworthiness and user-facing device security, and digital inclusion. However, due to the independence of devices between operators, the adaptability of the network is limited by the algorithms and devices between different operators, and the network is isolated, and the complete realization of virtualized shared infrastructure is still in the initial stage.
Figure 5: Operators using a shared network infrastructure can run network functions that are highly disconnected and distributed with microservices
7. Spectrum sharing
Radio spectrum, as a finite natural resource allocated and used through government regulations, should be optimally engineered and maximized in high spectral efficiency for specific applications and services in the market. Early spectrum sharing was mostly done through static, semi-dynamic, or autonomous best-effort mechanisms, such as static sharing, when operators migrated their radio carriers from 4G to 5G and repurposed the same spectrum by splitting it into two parts. In 5G applications, 3GPP introduces dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) for 5GNR, which enables 4GLTE and 5GNR to operate simultaneously in the same frequency band with the same operator. In 6G applications, there are some design challenges and practical considerations for DSS technology development, such as the possibility of coordination between the two systems in some radio environments and the upgradeability of legacy equipment. However, in view of the changes in the way operators use spectrum in the process of 5G evolution, the success of the mid-band and the deployment of shared frequency bands will further increase the possibility of spectrum sharing, and after solving the service quality, strict delay needs and reliability requirements of the system, spectrum sharing is expected to enter the stage of applicability for 6G on the basis of 5G.
8. Cross-vendor and standard wireless Internet network
In 6G application scenarios, a series of indicators such as security, bandwidth, economy, and sustainability have different requirements in different environments such as indoor and outdoor. Therefore, in order to ensure that standards bodies and industry alliances work together, it has become a very important area of research to provide standard specifications, technical architectures, and operational frameworks for the high degree of interconnection and user experience compatibility between 6G and WiFi systems. Today, key features in achieving interoperability and standards conformance include common identity, security policies, open roaming, power and experience optimization, and multipath connectivity. The above functions need to be developed collaboratively among standards bodies in various fields, and at the stage of 6G construction, through the participation and coordination of user communities, equipment manufacturers, silicon module suppliers, network technology providers, regulators, and communication service provider stakeholders, it is not impossible to establish a cross-vendor and standard WiFi Internet network.
9. Open interface
The mobile communications ecosystem has a rich tradition of open interfaces, and the vendor base of devices and networks is diverse. By providing a standardized interchange mechanism for different components, open interfaces open up the possibility of specialization and optimal design of individual network components in mobile networks. Since 3G, RAN and core networks have been utilizing open interfaces, and with 5G, the trend towards open interface specialization has taken a step further. In a 6G network, different functional parts will rely on different types of building blocks, and vendors specializing in specific technology areas can build high-performance network solutions through open interfaces for functions between modules. At present, the construction of 6G open interfaces is still in its infancy due to the poor foundation of open interface construction in 5G applications and the uncertainty of different requirements for open interfaces in 6G application scenarios.
Figure 6: Open interfaces for 5G radio access networks
10. Sub-terahertz frequency band
In 6G applications, the subterahertz band from 100 GHz to 300 GHz is expected to primarily meet the needs of local peak access capacity, backhaul, and high-precision sensing in cellular wireless networks. Sub-terahertz technology will be combined with applications such as immersive telepresence, digital twins, and more, and Figure 7 shows the relationship between related functions, including converged reality telepresence, twin and co-creation, professional/trusted sub-networks, and cobots, with major applications in the 6G era. At present, subterahertz solutions for wireless LANs and joint communications and sensing (JCAS) are still in the early stages of research and have relatively low technology maturity.
However, there are already existing use cases in the wireless backhaul space that leverage sub-terahertz spectrum with a moderate level of technology maturity. These solutions will complement existing fiber access and wireless backhaul by leveraging sub-terahertz bands, making ubiquitous user service connectivity feasible in dense and ultra-dense environments in the future.
Figure 7: Subterahertz technology can be broadly divided into access, backhaul, and sensing functions
11. Backhaul evolution to increase cellular density
Mobile backhaul connecting the radio access network (RAN) and the core network (CU) is an important part of a mobile wireless network. With the upgrading of each generation of mobile communication systems, the number of user devices, cellular density and other indicators will change dramatically, bringing new application problems. At present, the wired backhaul method based on optical fiber and the wireless backhaul method are widely used due to their high reliability and wide range, respectively. Mature technologies such as multi-beam systems and massive input-output antennas (MIMO) have become the cornerstone of 5G applications, and are expected to be the foundation of 6G-related solutions because they can reduce cross-link interference between backhaul and access links, thereby increasing the density of selfhaul deployments.
Currently, newer 4G and 5G deployments primarily utilize wired fiber backhaul, while wireless backhaul solutions for fixed services are a more economical alternative to fiber backhaul and account for 50% of the penetration of unlimited backhaul. With intelligent microwave networks, higher spectral efficiency, wider bandwidths, and expansion to high frequencies, wireless backhaul solutions will continue to evolve and will enable 6G deployments. As a mature technology in terms of specifications and standards, selfhaul technology is expected to be used in 6G, and although it is currently highly complex, the development and network implementation costs can be further reduced because the same technology can be used for access and backhaul. Wireless self-haul facilitates nomadic deployments in the field of public safety and emergency response. In some cases, wireless autohaul can provide services in uncovered areas (as shown on the left side of Figure 8) and is critical to achieving ubiquitous service connectivity. Wireless backhaul is also critical to network capacity, and local small cells connected to macro cells in real-world deployments will be used to increase capacity (as shown on the right side of Figure 8). In some cases, dense networks can also help improve machine communication coverage for low-power, short-range devices.
Figure 8: (Multi-hop) wireless backhaul as a coverage booster and service engine (left) and as a bandwidth-efficient local capacity and bitrate booster in macro and interconnected microcell deployments
12. Non-terrestrial (satellite) networks
High network convergence is one of the key visions of 6G, and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) such as satellite communications address various coverage gaps in existing terrestrial infrastructure, such as rural areas and offshore applications, and are an important part of achieving global coverage, high availability, and highly resilient applications. There are currently two commercial non-terrestrial network deployment options, as shown in Figure 9, that is, the combination of satellite communications with terrestrial 5G base stations and the use of low-Earth orbit constellations (e.g., Starlink) to provide broadband Internet. Although the solution that combines satellite communication with terrestrial 5G base stations is mainly used, it has been used in commercial and government fields for decades and has a high degree of maturity. The non-terrestrial network that directly uses near-Earth satellites from ground base stations has also entered the testing stage, and companies such as Qualcomm and MediaTek have proposed silicon platforms suitable for this model. As the cost of satellite launch continues to decrease, the potential commercial value of non-terrestrial networks such as satellite communications will be further enhanced. However, in the 3D network with high convergence of 6G, a series of indicators such as latency and stability have been greatly improved, and there are still a series of problems such as high latency between satellites and base stations and interference elimination in non-terrestrial networks that need to be solved urgently, and non-terrestrial networks are still in the early stage of technology accumulation.
Figure 9: Integration of satellites and ground base stations
Fifth, we should work hand in hand with consensus countries
Technological advancements in today's 5G era are the result of a concerted effort by all parties, including standards development organizations, industry alliances or organizations, global research programs, and regulatory agencies. For 6G, there is a consensus that industry, research, and governments across countries need to work together to address major challenges to advance innovation and adoption.
(1) Standards bodies and regulations
In the communications industry, there are more and more parties responsible for equipment manufacturing, network operations, and computing platforms. There is a need for greater collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that 6G technology meets existing and future needs. Specifically, cooperation between the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Automated Terminal Intelligence Service (ATIS) must be strengthened in order for each standard-setting body to have a different technical focus. Global alliances such as the Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) have joined forces with standards development organizations to jointly develop and maintain existing wireless standards. Founded in 1998, 3GPP is responsible for the development of standards from 2G to 5G, including the Global System for Mobile Communications, IMT-2000, Long Term Evolution Technology and 5G New Radio Technology. With the increase in partners, it is important to continue to strengthen the third-generation partner program for 6G technology and future technology research and development.
Global standards are key to ensuring global economies of scale and interoperability to capture the 6G opportunities associated with new frequency bands, including sub-terahertz bands. A clear framework can facilitate technological development, which in turn will lead to the standardization process and the widespread adoption of standards. For standards-related IPRs, there is a need for a transparent and balanced licensing system that provides fair access to standards for all market players. Specifically, a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) standard patent framework is essential to ensure that sub-terahertz technology companies can capture value and invest in R&D.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) recently announced the formation of a Sub-Ahertz Technology Cross-Market Oversight Group (ISG). The group invites members of associations around the world to share their achievements and views on their pre-standardization work in order to prepare for the standardization of sub-terahertz technology.
The proliferation of open interfaces for hardware and software is expected to usher in 6G innovation. This is expected to lead to a global network platform that will deliver services on a global scale, resulting in significant social and economic benefits. The success of the platform is essentially due to the good cooperation of all stakeholders in the ecosystem in the development of standards. Over the past few years, the Open Radio Access Network Alliance has brought together a wide range of players around standardization, open software development, and implementation testing/integration of radio access network technologies, with a focus on virtualization and interoperability. The Third Generation Partnership Program will continue to develop and enhance interoperability solutions in line with the Internet Engineering Task Force standards. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) is an important provider of cloud utilization tools and may become a member of the global platform. The Telecommunications Management (TM) Forum, which develops automation tools, and CAMARA (Linux Foundation Open Source Project), which works on application programming interfaces, are also important members of the web platform. Cooperation between entities should be strengthened and should be actively aligned with the Government's strategy.
(2) Industry alliances and organizations
Several alliances have also been formed in industries related to wireless technology. Among them, the 5G Connected Industry Automation Alliance (5G-ACIA) brings together operations, information and communication technology and other relevant parties to create a global 5G forum for the industry. The collaboration aims to create a platform that can support a 5G industry ecosystem for different uses, from manufacturing to transportation. Recently, the 5G Industrial Automation Alliance has been thinking about how to expand applications that have a higher latency tolerance compared to low-latency applications. The Global Mobile Communications Association (GSTA) Forum is expected to continue to play a role in 6G with a focus on cellular IoT technology issues such as Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) with high latency tolerance and long-term evolution of machine type communications (LTE-M), as well as providing reports and recommendations for related technology applications. For example, mobile backhaul (the part of the mobile network that connects the core network to the radio access network) is an important component that will affect 6G deployments around the world with applications with different latency requirements, so global partners such as the Global Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) are bringing together global operators to come up with solutions that will help boost the backhaul solution ecosystem, increase market adoption, and reduce costs. In addition, cooperation forums in application areas such as public safety also help to advance technology.
Global harmonization is essential for 6G spectrum sharing schemes. Successful implementation and deployment of 6G requires the harmonization of regulatory frameworks for relevant technological innovations and the sharing of mature solutions. International cooperation to provide specific 6G services for industrial applications can greatly drive market adoption. Global cooperation on spectrum sharing will also affect the development of delay-tolerant technologies: in the case of satellite connectivity, both the satellite and terrestrial industries are well established and there are many avenues for cooperation. Greater cooperation, particularly on spectrum-related matters, would be beneficial.
The internal network infrastructure should be compatible with wireless access point technology, which is another important element of 6G cooperation. The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) was formed in 2019 by the merger of the OpenFogConsortium (OpenFogConsortium), which aims to standardize fog/edge computing, and the Industrial Internet Consortium, which brings together various stakeholders to jointly promote the reference architecture and experimental verification of industrial Internet technologies. The merged Industrial Internet Consortium has established a number of working groups, consisting of government, industry, and academia, with a focus on communications, edge/fog computing, and establishing a common IoT terminology. The 6G Alliance group needs to establish a global partnership with the Industrial Internet Consortium to coordinate the standardization of next-generation wireless access and core network technologies.
6G should take full advantage of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, which will require full cooperation between industry and government. In North America, the NextG Alliance has identified AI-native wireless networks as one of six goals. Currently, there is a need for more wireless system data to benchmark different AI/ML scenarios and become a global standard for inclusion in 6G standards. Next-generation network infrastructure needs to be based on both data-centric and cloud-native approaches to support AI-native workloads. At the same time, to achieve global interoperability and economies of scale, as well as cross-industry applications, wireless infrastructure platforms, architectures, and interfaces should remain more open.
(3) Scientific research activities
Establish global cooperation on 6G research activities, including between industry and academic research laboratories, as well as coordination and cooperation of relevant national research priorities. The world is investing in key 6G technology projects to fully exploit and utilize various spectrum resources, including sub-teraherz technology. In the U.S., research includes the NextG Alliance's Resilient and Intelligent NextG Systems project through the National Science Foundation, as well as the Department of Defense-funded industrial and academic research laboratory projects. The EU has funded Hexa-X, a key 6G research project, which identifies AI-driven communication and computing design as well as intelligent coordination and service management of future networks as its main objectives. European countries have also launched their own key research, such as Finland's 6G key project and Germany's 6G - access, networking, automation and simplification (ANNA) and other major projects.
VI. Conclusion
Wireless technology has made tremendous advances in recent decades, culminating in the 4G and 5G communications that are currently enjoyed in many parts of the world. 6G represents the next giant leap forward a decade from now. The Roadmap provides a neutral taxonomy for technological innovations in computing, radio access design and deployment, and drives convergence into 6G standards. Among the technologies identified, targeted research is expected to make significant advances in four areas of social impact: scalability, sustainability, trustworthiness, and digital inclusion. These research efforts must be coordinated by consensus partners, consortia, and standardization organizations to maintain and advance the speed and scale of the industry. Partners, alliances, and standardization teams need to coordinate their research efforts to maintain and advance the speed and scale of the industry.
译 自：6G Global Roadmap: a Taxonomy, November 2023 by Purdue University, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Intel,Nokia, and Qualcomm
Authors: Liu Enji, Zhang Tiantian, Li Xiang
Editor: Xiaoyan
Guidance: Xin Wen
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