6G Communication Network

4 min readNov 8, 2023

Ever wondered what’s beyond 5G? What if we told you 6G promises not just faster connections, but entirely new dimensions of communication?

I was working on antenna design for Terahertz frequency for 6G communication applications during these summer vacations. In the process, 6G vision and potential technologies really interested me so I read a few research papers on the same to know what 6G communication would possibly look like. This article covers what I got to know. Here is the table of contents -

Network Evolution (from 1G to 5G)
6G Vision: Tech & Needs
Applications of 6G

NETWORK EVOLUTION (FROM 1G to 5G)

1G: Analog cellular network in the 1980s for voice communications.

2G: Digital cellular network in the early 1990s, capable of encrypted services and data services in addition to voice.

3G: Introduced in the early 21st century with various data services, including Internet access, video calls, and mobile television.

4G/LTE: Initiated in 2009 with technologies like MIMO, OFDM, and all-IP to achieve high-speed mobile data transmission.

5G [Current]: Enabled technologies like AR/VR, it is not a very groundbreaking technology but rather just an evolution of 4G to achieve higher data rates.

6G VISION: TECH AND NEEDS

⭐ “Collective” Artificial Intelligence

A defining feature of 6G is its integration with artificial intelligence (AI) at nearly every level. AI will play a central role in network orchestration, management, coding, signal processing in the physical layer, smart structure manipulation, data mining for context-aware communications, and more.

6G is expected to implement AI through distributed training at network edges, involving small-cell base stations (SBSs) and user equipment (UEs). Unlike traditional algorithms in 5G, 6G introduces the concept of Collective AI. In 5G, individual devices are primarily responsible for maintaining a smooth connection. In contrast, 6G will employ collective AI in the network, which will not only assist individual device communication but also optimize the entire network for improved performance.

Let’s understand this by a simple example — If your mobile network is getting distorted due to heavy traffic in the network it is a part of, in the current 5G network, only your phone is responsible for handling most of the work to ensure a smooth call. But with 6G, we’ll have AI in the network that assists your mobile communication as well as optimize the whole network for better performance.

⭐ Higher Data Rates

6G is aiming to achieve at least 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of data rate in small areas. To put that in perspective, this is about 100 times faster than what 5G can deliver.

To reach this goal, these are some key technologies 6G will be using -

Increasing Bandwidth: Just like for more traffic wider roads will avoid congestion, similarly increasing the bandwidth will allow more data to travel without causing congestion in the channels. Thus, 6G needs us to expand into the Tera Hertz Frequency band.
Combining Multiple Technologies: 6G will combine multiple Radio Access Technologies (RAT) and create 3D multi-link connectivity. 5G was limited to ground points only but 6G will also incorporate aerial points like drones and satellites.

⭐ Decentralization and Quantum Computing for Security and Privacy

The shift from 4G to 5G prioritized network performance, but overlooked data security and privacy. With 6G on the horizon, it’s focusing on enhancing security through PHY security, quantum key distribution, and advanced quantum computing to tackle evolving cyber threats.

The collection of vast user information by service providers has raised privacy issues. To solve this, 6G envisions implementing complete anonymization and decentralization in networks through decentralization technology. This holistic approach aims to protect data and ensure user privacy in a more secure and human-centric 6G network.

APPLICATIONS OF 6G

⭐Haptic Communication

This enhances audio-visual communication by adding a sense of touch, which is crucial for unlocking the potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR). This has various applications like — remote surgery, holographic communication, and networked games, etc. Since Haptic communication requires a massive amount of real-time data to be shared over the air, 6G technology is needed.

⭐ Massive IoT Integration

Smart home: Need massive data to be shared across devices while providing privacy.

Connected Vehicles and Autonomous Driving: Huge amounts of Real-time data will have to be shared with low latency for live updates on traffic, creating 3D maps, etc.

Smart Healthcare: As this is a very sensitive and delicate application, a high level of security, reliability, and ubiquitous availability of communication systems as well as network infrastructure must be ensured.

All these needs will be addressed by the 6G network

⭐ Better and Faster Communication

The idea of Industry X.0 is to make Industry even better by using things like social, mobile, analytics, and cloud technologies. When you have a lot of robots working together in a big network, it can get really complicated. 6G, the next generation of wireless technology, will help this Industry X.0 revolution by providing very reliable and fast communication, lots of devices connected to the internet, and built-in artificial intelligence.