Catching a glimpse of 6G

The development cycle of a new technology, from the definition of technical standards to its commercial roll-out in networks, has gradually decreased as we have moved through the new generations of mobile telephony. Thus, the 3G launch cycle lasted 15 years, 4G took 12 years and 5G less than 10 years. In the case of 6G, this process is expected to be shorter than eight years. In fact, the Korean Ministry of Science already plans to roll out the first services over 6G networks by 2028.

Also, the advance of new disruptive services is speeding up. At one point we can be talking about cryptocurrencies, when suddenly interest shifts to the development of the Metaverse, while just months later this interest focuses on Generative Artificial Intelligence. It is already being said that all these new technologies will be an integral part of 6G, which will bring them in as native services.

Just like with 5G, however, 6G will represent a new revolution that will allow us to achieve the old mantra of connectivity for everyone anywhere. This concept of ubiquity is closely aligned with Cellnex’s vision of bringing the world closer through connectivity and turning communication into a key factor for human progress.

This is because 6G will unite both worlds – the digital world and the human world; the real world and the virtual world; the macro-scalar world and the nano-scalar one; all of them under the umbrella of sustainability and efficiency.

With 6G, we will not only achieve speeds of almost 1000 Gbps or latencies of almost 100 microseconds, but we will also double spectral efficiency, double energy efficiency and allow ten times more devices per square metre. In short, the new infrastructures will be more efficient.

While some people wonder if it is still too early to talk about 6G, scientists have been defining the vision of what to expect from 6G for several years. 2024 will mark the start of the process to standardise the latest requirements for advanced 5G, which in turn will become the initial requirements for 6G. These will pivot around high network performance, energy efficiencies and smart network automation.

However, right now we are fully immersed in the roll-out of 5G infrastructures in Europe, with this technology already reaching over 80% of the population. This implies considerable investment by the Telecommunications industry, which has brought more than 300,000 base stations on stream in the EU27 states. The connectivity currently being enabled will represent a unique opportunity for European citizens and companies to improve digitalisation and access to new advanced services.

In these implementation plans, Mobile Operators are still taking the first steps towards 5G Stand Alone and the first coverage in millimetre wave networks that will enhance network slicing, Edge computing and high-capacity services. These network elements will be the pillars on which the 6G networks of the future will be built.

However, Mobile Operators are not alone. They have allies who are also making major investments in infrastructure. This is the case of Neutral Infrastructure Providers, which are unlocking millions of euros so that Mobile Operators can reinvest them in accelerating their roll-outs. And Cellnex is one of them.

These investments will be the foundations of 6G, where infrastructure providers will become even more significant by offering infrastructure-sharing between multiple Operators, thereby reducing not only the cost, but also the carbon footprint of 5G and 6G roll-out.

These infrastructure providers are key to offering sharing solutions in deployments in hyper-dense areas, since 6G will work at very high frequencies: in the Tera-hertz spectrum (0.3-10Thz), along with millimetre wave bands below 20Ghz, or higher at 100 or 300GHz.

Signal transmission quality is becoming even more important, since 6G will encompass all wireless technologies (cellular, Wi-Fi, broadcasting, radar or location). To achieve this, work is underway on smart surfaces that reflect the signal, bouncing it towards places lacking coverage, to increase 6G range.

These new networks must be designed from the outset to ensure that they are green, and that the consumption of the base stations (antennas) is much lower. In turn, this efficiency should be achieved using virtualisation and sufficient automation of network nodes to allow networks to be started up and operated remotely, thus saving hours of travel and work.

To achieve this, all nodes should include artificial intelligence, making it possible to decentralise data management and computing, making new cognitive infrastructures necessary. Cellnex is already working on its Free 6G project on the massive deployment of distributed massive-MIMO access points that support this new adaptive and dynamic network configuration.

Immersive digital experiences will thus be enabled that improve augmented human communication through immersive services, telepresence or multisensory interaction (Internet of the senses). 6G will also spell the improvement of industrial processes through robotisation, ultra-precise 3D localisation or massive digital twins.

The evolution of mobility through autonomous vehicles, smart rail transport or drones will also be some of the novelties that 6G will herald.

Examples of these services are already in the research phase within projects that Cellnex is developing together with its partners, such as the Success 6G project where a real-time vehicle monitoring platform is being deployed to predict vehicle status or update vehicle software remotely.