For many, 6G will not remain
confined to research labs, and a commercial
launch should be expected in
a decade or so (Figure 5). Cynics claim
that the 6G introduction will be dictated
by commercial/marketing needs.
In other words, even if the underlying
requirements do not justify the emergence
of a new standard, 6G will
become an industry term one way or
another. There are a few reasons or
signs why 6G may be needed:
• The “curse” of odd numbers:
16 I ICT TODAY
FIGURE 5: Will 6G be launched in 2029-2030?
around 6G focus on the topic of energy efficiency. Indeed,
the advent and success of the energy-hungry virtual/cloud
networks is likely to require additional action on top of
what has been envisaged as part of 5G. Combined with
its environmental impact, energy efficiency may well
become the headline 6G capability.
6G Enablers
Unsurprisingly, 6G will require more spectrum, and the
above 300 GHz territory is currently under investigation.
Promising new technologies, such as light fidelity (Li-Fi)
based on the Wi-Fi acronym or visible light communications,
are being discussed as potential 6G candidates.
These discussions effectively form part of convergence
efforts to bring different networks (e.g., mobile, Wi-Fi,
satellite, and fiber/cable/copper) closer together. 6G could
well be the fixed-mobile convergence standard. On the
other hand, despite the huge interest in AI, 6G standardization,
rather than 5G, may incorporate AI. A similar
point holds true for other hot concepts (e.g., blockchain)
that could become 6G pillars.
6G Applications
Is 6G the network generation/standard to fully support
tactile internet that has already been described as a 5G
application? Is 6G the technology that will successfully
merge communications with biology? Perhaps. Also
being discussed in the context of 6G are the requirements
for applications of less intriguing but still challenging
use cases related to rural communities or supporting
8k video.
According to this curse, odd-numbered mobile
generations are not as complete or successful as
the subsequent even-numbered ones. 1G could
not take the world by storm like 2G did, while
the hugely problematic 3G pales in comparison
to 4G. Like its odd-numbered predecessors (1G
and 3G), 5G will not be able to deliver fully on
its promises.
• The 5G hubris: A favorite topic in ancient Greek
tragedies, hubris deals with excessive pride or
self-confidence and the defiance of gods that
leads to punishment. For 5G, the need to address
a variety of use cases and the complexity inher-
ent in end-to-end network slicing has raised
some eyebrows. Therefore, the all-encompassing,
highly ambitious vision of 5G reflects an industry
overconfidence that may be difficult to realize.
• The future cannot be predicted: New use cases
and enhanced capabilities in adjacent areas
typically arise following research breakthroughs.
A typical use case example would be the impact
of the iPhone launch, which few had foreseen.
On the capability/infrastructure side, the IT
and telecom network convergence would be
a relevant example.
So, what would 6G look like?
6G Capabilities
6G is expected to deliver even better throughput/capacity,
latency, and reliability. Enhancements to privacy and
security are also expected. Interestingly, many discussions