As 5G networks continue to roll out globally, researchers and tech companies are already setting their sights on the next generation of wireless technology: 6G. While 5G will bring in industries with ultra-high-speed and low-latency, 6G is claimed to push the evolution of connectivity to another level, and could possibly change the thread of the society.
In fact with 6G technology yet to be fully discussed and only expected to come to commercial use in around 2030, there is already a race to define and develop this technology.
It is believed that the 6G network can still be even faster by providing up to 100 times broader speeds than the 5G network and possess a few microseconds of latency. This leap in performance could open the flood gates to a range of applications and services which are currently out of our reach technologically.
For instance, 6G could make it possible to have an extended reality that might be augmented, virtual as well as mixed, and all of them would feel like being in the actual real world. This could have an impact on various branches ranging from education to healthcare and entertainment since it would be possible to have solutions where people do not have to be physically present and the experiences are very similar.
Arguably, one of the greatest futures of 6G is how it seeks to enhance the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) by integrating people, processes and data into the network; this is referred to as the Internet of Everything or IoE. The rise of this hyper-connected world could then translate to increase in smarter cities and efficient transport systems as well as highly targeted or rather proactive services that are in tune with our needs and wants at any one point in time.
In healthcare, 6G could allow for remote operation of surgical robots that say the doctors could perform major surgery from remote locations with feedback that is tactile and absolutely accurate to the point of the operation, from thousands of miles away. It could also pave way for the possibility of creating miniature sensors that can be ingested and they are constantly measuring our health and when we have a problem, it notifies the health professionals instantly.
The future of 6G is also very much entwined with the progress made in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning or AI/ML. These technologies are expected to be a part of the 6G networks so that it can self-optimize, automatic network and manage resources intelligently. This could lead to the existence of the network that is even faster, more reliable, energy efficient and cheap to run.
Nevertheless, there is no smooth sailing while advancing the generations of wireless communications toward 6G. The technology is going to have to utilise frequencies at a greater density – and this might have to extend up to the terahertz range. This raises considerable technical challenges in regards to signal transmission and the physical realization of a Transmitter electronics. Moreover, there will be an overall increase of the ‘things,’ connectivity, and data traffic which will prompt a new thinking approach, solutions for security and privacy.
It can be expected that as the study of 6G continues, more focus will be paid to cooperation between companies, academia, and governments globally. China is already ahead in terms of the deployment of 6G and so is South Korea and the United States who are likely to realize this as a strategic asset. It can be seen that many countries are now in a race to develop 6G technology that can decide the geopolitics for years and technology standards for coming years.
While it’s still too early to predict exactly what 6G will look like or what its full capabilities will be, one thing is certain: it can be argued that it has the capability of being one of the revolutionary technologies as it alters the way humans interact with the virtual realities. As we keep on innovating towards wireless communication systems and increasing the viability of the systems, this makes 6G as the future advancement to look to.
Leave a Reply