6G is not a far-off dream: it could arrive as early as 2030

GOVERNMENTS around the world are accelerating nationwide 5G roll-outs to meet the pandemic-driven digital demand, and very soon, 5G will take its long-awaited place as the new global communication standard. The question then becomes: what's next?

Thinking about 5G's successor may seem premature, but given that wireless network replacement cycles occur once every 10 years, the next generation of communication - 6G - could arrive as early as 2030.

What would a 6G-powered world look like? Early research by vivo Communications Research Institute suggests that 6G could be five times faster, have 10 times less latency and be 100 times more reliable than 5G. If 5G is all about connecting machines and making large-scale digitalisation possible, 6G could take a step further, achieving seamless integration between the physical world and the digital world - a true convergence of information, communication and data technology that would change the world as we know.

HOW WILL 6G WORK?

6G will naturally see significant operational improvements such as covering a much wider area and integrating more radio access technologies. Its greatly enhanced speed, stability and throughput capacity will also be able to support much more sophisticated and demanding computing capabilities. As such, this expands opportunities for advancements in adjacent technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI).

The convergence of these technologies and 6G gives rise to Extended Reality (XR), which blurs the still-distinct boundaries between the physical and the digital world by enabling us to interact with both at the same time.

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Additionally, instead of using individual devices for specific functions, we would have an abundance of advanced terminals integrated into everything - from modules in robots and vehicles to micro terminals on humans and insects.

These terminals would constantly collect data on the physical world and use it to recreate a digital world, where 'digital brains' would analyse, predict and deduce developments and outcomes. Everything would be digitised and stored, even humans and animals. As the terminals would connect multiple services, they would then be able to feed the analysed information back into the 'real' world to drive agile yet informed decision-making - all in the blink of an eye.

THE WAYS WE MIGHT USE 6G

How often have you hesitated to buy a piece of clothing online because you weren't sure how it would look or feel on you? With 6G, Internet of Things (IoT)-powered devices would be ubiquitous and small, making it possible to incorporate them into clothing, shoes, hats and accessories. When combined with holographic imaging, AI and XR technologies, customers could experience a 'real' fitting session with holographic virtual fitting and 'feel' the clothing texture with haptic scene communication.

With 6G enabling seamless, real-time monitoring of biomarkers and personal health data, healthcare would move away from a one-size-fits-all care model towards a never-before-seen degree of personalisation. Sensors within and without the body could record specific physical data and enable dynamic diet adjustments to ensure that people consume the right nutrients. Precision therapy and remote treatment could become much quicker, more accurate and more convenient, while people could also become much more proactive in managing their mental and physical health.

Similarly, education would also see significant improvements as educators would be able to use real-time assessments of a child's learning capabilities and preferences to adjust their teaching strategies and lesson plans accordingly.

A 6G-powered world would also have a much wider range of learning mediums, especially with more mature AR, improved AI and new holographic technology. Above all, these technologies provide more flexibility, engagement and effectiveness in learning, and eliminate the barriers associated with distance education.

CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVING 6G VISION

Our projections define certain requirements that must be satisfied to achieve the 6G vision and move from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Everything. For instance, we anticipate that to digitalise a human brain viably, we would need ultra-high communication data rates, computing, storage, and reliability requirements. Our technology is not yet sophisticated enough to meet these prerequisites, and further innovation is required.

Additionally, we must also address the fundamental issues of cost, coverage and power consumption. How do we manage the costs of installing ubiquitous terminals to achieve the speed and quantity of data collection and analysis that we need? How can we ensure that coverage is adequate? And how do we keep power consumption sustainable over the long term?

We need breakthroughs in many technologies and techniques, such as batteries, sensing, and interfacing.

There is also the question of privacy. Besides technological advancements, a data-driven world requires mass participation to be feasible. But if everyone is digitised and digitalised, it becomes of paramount importance to regulate the sharing and usage of personal data to avoid abuse and exploitation. Legislation is often slow to catch up with technology, but it would be a mistake not to consider the privacy issue ahead of time, given the potentially heavy ramifications.

LOOKING TO A 6G-POWERED WORLD

Much has changed over the last decade, but what remains constant is that technology never stops progressing. 6G may seem like a far-off dream now, but just as the case of 5G and its fellow predecessors, it is only a matter of time before it becomes reality. It is never too soon to prepare for the future, and we must start thinking about what a 6G future might look like to plan for it.

It's exciting to think about the revolutionary possibilities of 6G and what it might mean for our world. 6G will truly usher in a new age of communication and contribute to an interconnected, integrated future where technology and humanity co-exist in true harmony. 2030, here we come.

• The writer is 5G Standard Expert of vivo