A Brief 6G Primer

Mobile connectivity and wireless networks have evolved and created a need for a more advanced solution. The 6G Network (6th Generation wireless Network) has been designed to integrate the latest tech into a more immersive experience. The future of wireless communication is 6G technology for global users who want to work virtually from home. For businesses, this will have drastic implications for physical office spaces, recruitment, and more. In this article, we will take a look at the benefits of 6G, how it stacks up against 5G, and when it’s likely to be available. 

What are the 6G Benefits?

Anything that utilizes 5G now will be vastly improved when 6G is rolled out. Future AR and VR systems are planned for 5G, but with AI, faster speeds and improved connectivity 6G will provide considerable support. Some tech experts are claiming that using 6G will be more like a “sixth sense experience” where AI meets biology. Imagine a holographic video call via micro-devices or wearables that support human action and thought in the virtual realm. The drive to brain-computer interfaces will require 6G to work flawlessly and this will have a major impact on healthcare. A senior citizen with limited mobility may be able to remotely control their 6G connected exoskeleton to perform tasks. If the person wishes to move around, they can have the exoskeleton collect them and think about where they want to go. This could give infirm people far more autonomy in how they live their lives and reduce their reliance on caregivers. One of the best things about 5G is the low 4ms latency, but in comparison to 6G, this would be considered to be slow. It may even be possible to reach zero latency with instantaneous responses that feel incredibly intuitive and natural. The time to go to a video call or use a device would only be limited by the powering up time. Of course, a great deal of this speed and functionality will improve as the network increases. A point will be reached when the products and services are built that can take full advantage of 6G bandwidth.  

What are the Differences Between 5G and 6G?

The clearest distinction between 5G and 6G is the faster speeds and lower latency. Even a brief look back at the difference between 4G and 5G demonstrates a marked improvement in performance. So, it’s natural to expect that 6G will be magnitudes faster than the 5G network we’re using today. To put this into perspective, when the earliest targets are met, it’s expected that 6G networks will have 50-100x capacity of 5G. Now, we have 5G networks that support 1 million connected devices per square kilometer. But, the improved connectivity of 6G will support 10 million devices distributed over the same area!

How Fast Can 6G Be?

At this time it’s pure speculation, in theory, we will see blistering speeds, but this will only be possible when the network is established and expanded. That said, right now we have 5G networks that can achieve 1 Gbps (Gigabyte per second) when the circumstances are ideal. It’s certain that 6G will beat that speed, but by how much is the million dollar question. We may see hundreds of Gbps speeds or the speed could move up into the Tbps (Terabytes per second) speeds. A recent Samsung 6G technology test did achieve speeds that were 50x faster than the best current 5G speeds. The speed potential for 6G may be in debate, for now, but we can safely assume that a 6G network will need to utilize ultrahigh frequencies. We’re talking about millimeter waves of the radio spectrum. Our 5G bandwidth capacity is based upon high radio frequencies, but as capacity rises up the radio spectrum more data can be carried. The 6G networks may ultimately approach the very upper limits of the radio spectrum. This could be 300 GHz frequency levels or even higher into the THz (Terahertz) ranges. With the best ultra-fast 5G network variants that we’re starting to see now, there are limitations. The services must be very localized, there are inherent limits to bandwidth capacity when millimeter waves are used to carry data. This same problem could present a challenge to future 6G networks too. THz radiation has a range of approximately 10 meters and this would be way too short for any viable 6G network coverage. To make a network like this viable in the near future it will be essential to find a way to amplify THz signals safely. The alternative would be to construct literally thousands of 6G cell towers to boost the signal which is less than ideal. There is hope in the form of a new transmitter that was created in 2022 to use focused beams. In testing this technology could carry 1 TB of data per second using vortex millimeter waves. 

What Can We Expect from 6G Networks?

It’s fairly standard to see the release of a new mobile network standard each decade. So, on a purely theoretical timeline that would place a 6G network rollout in 2030 or perhaps a little sooner in Asia which got 5G networks before anywhere else. It’s likely that smartphone manufacturers and telecom companies will start to run trials in a few years. At this time, we can expect to see the manufacturers teasing the public about their upcoming 6G capable handsets. It’s common practice to begin work on new network technology at least a decade before any rollout occurs. Some 5G late adopters may start to hear about 6G networks not long after they’ve made the upgrade from 4G. Progress may be slower than expected, the 5G rollouts have been slow and 6G is likely to move at a similar pace. After all, there are still spectrum licenses to acquire, the frequency bands need to be set and physical infrastructure must be built. According to a report, in 2022, the adoption rate for 5G was only 39% in North America. In the same report, an estimated 91% would be using 5G and even 4G networks when 6G arrives. Even though 6G is probably less than a decade away, there are only a few companies doing serious work. The new network will need to improve on 5G significantly to get people to make an earlier than expected switch. There are certainly challenges to overcome, but the potential that 6G offers is considerable.