Rohit Kumar is responsible for Researchwire European & North American business. He is an HEC, Paris 2008 MBA and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur 2002 engineering graduate with close to 17 years of experience in business innovation and strategy, business development and client relationship roles. He is working with ResearchWire since 2016 and as a partner, is responsible for the growth of ResearchWire in Europe and North America.
Prior to ResearchWire, Rohit was handling sales strategy and pricing for Syniverse Technologies, a telecom services provider, where he was instrumental for growth in EMEA and India through product innovations, creative pricing and discounting models and executing strategic sales plans.
Rohit is based out of Luxembourg and has been living in Europe for last 12 years. He understands European & North American customers and their needs and ensures that our customers always have a local person to reach out whenever needed.
6G wireless technology is expected to revolutionize industries and become a key enabler for businesses in the future. With data speeds projected to be ten times faster than 5G, reaching 10 to 100 Gbps, 6G will utilize higher millimetre wave frequencies, up to 10 GHz, to provide unrestricted wireless connectivity, almost instantly. This will have a significant impact on enterprises, allowing convergence in areas such as connectivity, robotics, cloud computing, and secure commerce.
This advanced technology will give rise to exciting and innovative use cases, leading to significant societal changes. Several use cases have emerged for 6G technology that includes e-health access for all, precision healthcare solutions, smart agriculture, earth monitoring, digital twins, cobots (collaborative robots), and robot navigation. These use cases can be categorized into three main scenarios: the Internet of Senses, which enhances human sensory experiences; connected intelligent machines, enabling seamless communication between machines; and a connected sustainable world, promoting sustainability and addressing global challenges.
What to expect from 6G technology
6G will pave the way for enhanced digital experiences, integrating the physical and virtual worlds even more seamlessly than 5G.
The business case for 6G is further strengthened using millimetre wave (mmWave) technology, which offers high data rates and flexibility in accommodating both downlink and uplink data based on business needs. This technology will support industries that rely on real-time data analysis and need to transmit massive amounts of data back to core networks. Blu Wireless, a company specializing in mmWave system solutions, expects that 6G will support data-intensive applications in transport, defence, and private networks.
For example, the transfer of one terabyte of data, which currently takes an hour with 5G at 2 Gbps, will be reduced to just six minutes with 6G at 20 Gbps. This improvement will benefit applications like avionics, video security analysis, and in-flight entertainment systems.
The advent of 6G technology will lead to the availability of a wider range of devices in the market, further leading to a significant increase in the number of internet-connected devices capable of collecting and transmitting data in our society.
The advent of 6G will enable seamless navigation within the cyber-physical continuum, allowing seamless travel between the tangible realm of interconnected sensory perceptions, actions, and immersive encounters, and its programmable virtual counterpart. Upcoming networks will serve as a vital component for the operation of nearly all aspects of life, society, and industries. These networks will cater to the communication requirements of both humans and intelligent machines. As automation and digitization continue to advance and simplify people’s lives, the evolving cyber-physical continuum will consistently enhance efficiency and promote the sustainable utilization of resources.
Companies Working on 6G Development
In 2017, Huawei initiated investments in 6G research alongside efforts to drive the commercial deployment of 5G. Their projections indicate that 6G will likely enter the market by approximately 2030. Huawei’s 6G vision is ambitious, aiming to establish a planet that is intelligently connected, sustainably developed, well-protected, and thriving in all aspects of life.
In June 2021, Ericsson published a post discussing five essential technology building blocks that will likely shape the evolution of mobile networks beyond 2030. The post also outlined potential use cases for 6G technology in the future. Additionally, Ericsson is actively involved in the Europe Hexa-X initiative, where it holds a leading position. The Hexa-X initiative aims to drive the research and development of 6G technology in Europe, fostering collaboration among industry players and academic institutions. Overall, Ericsson is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the network industry, sharing its vision for future network platforms, exploring the potential of 6G, and actively participating in initiatives to shape the future of communication technology.
Nokia, like Ericsson, is actively engaged in the research and development of 6G networks and frequently makes headlines in this field. Being the project leader for Hexa-X, Europe’s flagship 6G initiative is one of Nokia’s significant accomplishments in this technology. Hexa-X aims to establish a fabric of 6G technology enablers that connect the human, physical, and digital worlds. This initiative marks the industry ecosystem’s first official research effort aimed at expediting 6G research and cultivating European leadership in the era of 6G networks.
Samsung’s Strategic Partnerships for 6G Development
Samsung began its research on 6G technology in June 2019. Alongside its in-house research, Samsung has formed partnerships with various companies to advance its 6G endeavours. In February 2022, Samsung teamed up with Keysight, a leading technology company, to further enhance research and development efforts for 6G technology. The primary focus of this partnership is to expedite the development of AI-enabled air interfaces that utilize massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna technology. In May 2022, Samsung released another white paper titled “6G Spectrum: Expanding the Frontier,” which builds upon the 6G vision presented in the previous white paper. This document discusses strategies for securing global frequency bands necessary to realize Samsung’s vision for 6G technology. Overall, Samsung has been actively engaged in 6G research and development, collaborating with partners and advocating for the acquisition of suitable spectrum to support the advancement of 6G networks and technologies.
Top 5 Industries that 6G is Transforming
6G technology is still in its early stages of development, and concrete information about its transformative impact on specific industries may be limited. However, based on potential trends and expectations, here are five industries that could potentially be transformed by 6G technology:
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Telecommunications and Connectivity:
6G is expected to offer significantly higher data speeds, ultra-low latency, and massive device connectivity. This could revolutionize telecommunications, enabling advanced applications such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), autonomous vehicles, and smart city infrastructure.
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Healthcare:
The ultra-low latency and high bandwidth capabilities of 6G could enhance telemedicine, remote surgeries, and remote patient monitoring. Real-time data transmission and high-resolution imaging could enable doctors to provide more accurate diagnoses and perform procedures remotely.
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Manufacturing and Industry 4.0:
6G’s advancements in connectivity, including faster and more reliable wireless communication, could further drive automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) in manufacturing. It may enable real-time monitoring and control of industrial processes, enhancing productivity, efficiency, and safety.
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Entertainment and Media:
With increased data speeds and low latency of 6G, immersive experiences like 3D gaming, holographic displays, and ultra-high-definition (UHD) video streaming could become more seamless and widely accessible. It could enable new forms of interactive and personalized content consumption.
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Transportation and Logistics:
6G’s capabilities may contribute to the advancement of autonomous vehicles, smart transportation systems, and real-time logistics optimization. Improved connectivity and communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and control centres could enhance safety, traffic management, and overall efficiency.
These predictions are speculative, and the true transformative impact of 6G on these industries may only be fully understood as the technology evolves and becomes more widely adopted in the future.
How 6G will be better than 5G
6G, the sixth generation of mobile networks, is currently under development and is anticipated to be commercially available by the end of the decade. It aims to surpass its predecessors by offering faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.
While full blown deployment of 5G technology is under progress, it is expanding quickly and has begun to experience commercial success. Here we compare how 5G is different from 6G:
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Speed and Capacity:
While 5G networks provide significant improvements in speed compared to 4G, 6G is expected to offer even faster data rates. While the peak speed of 5G delivers 10Gbps, 6G aims to achieve 1Tbps. This substantial increase in speed will enable more data-intensive applications and facilitate seamless connectivity for futuristic technologies.
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Latency:
5G already provides significantly lower latency than previous generations, with latencies as low as a few milliseconds. However, 6G is expected to further reduce latency, aiming for sub-millisecond delays. This ultra-low latency is crucial for real-time applications that demand immediate response, such as autonomous vehicles, remote robotic control, and immersive virtual reality experiences.
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Spectrum Usage:
6G technology will make use of spectrum within the 30 to 3000 GHz range, which is a crucial step towards realizing the demanding use cases anticipated in future 6G networks. The increased frequencies utilized by 6G networks enable significantly higher throughput compared to 5G networks. As a result, 6G can transmit larger volumes of data in shorter durations, leading to a smoother and more seamless user experience.
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Use Cases and Applications:
5G technology has opened doors to various innovative applications, including smart cities, connected vehicles, remote surgeries, and industrial automation. With 6G, we can expect the emergence of new transformative applications and use cases that were previously unimaginable. These may include advanced holographic communication, highly immersive augmented reality, seamless human-machine interactions, and ubiquitous connectivity for all types of devices.
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Intelligent and Autonomous Networks:
While 5G networks introduced network slicing and software-defined networking concepts, 6G aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced automation techniques extensively. Intelligent and autonomous network management and optimization will be essential to handle massive amounts of data, enable efficient resource allocation, and ensure seamless connectivity in complex and dynamic network environments.
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Energy Efficiency and Sustainability:
6G is expected to prioritize energy efficiency to address the growing demand for wireless connectivity while minimizing environmental impact. New techniques, such as dynamic power management and intelligent energy consumption control, will likely be implemented to improve energy efficiency and contribute to sustainability goals.
However, 6G is still under development. Its specific features, standards, and use cases are yet to be fully defined. The differences are based on current expectations and predictions, and further advancements and refinements may emerge as research and development continue in future.
Conclusion
Investing in 6G research is economically advantageous for any government. It will meet the increasing need for massive data upload and processing, driven by automation, AI, and ML. By investing in 6G, countries can secure their position in the future of manufacturing and other industries. Collaboration between governments, trade associations, and private businesses is crucial for the development and advancement of 6G, and those countries that embrace this technology will thrive more than the late adopters.
If you are a stakeholder in 6G innovation ecosystem and are looking to get insights into trends in specific technology areas pertaining to 6G to better position yourself in making proper business decisions, or are developing, or planning to develop, a strong patent portfolio around 6G technology and its use cases, reach out to Researchwire.
Researchwire is an ISO 27001 certified, specialised IP research and R&D support company. Works closely with IP & legal teams to provide patent portfolio services and all types of patent searches & patent drafting. It provides enterprises and R&D centres with insightful and effective solutions to address their technology development challenges and roadmap planning.
