- Qualcomm talks about 6G innovations that go beyond speed, integrating AI and IoT
- 6G promises improved coverage and efficiency
- AI-native design will optimize networks and enable new use cases
The transition from 5G to 6G will redefine the wireless landscape and deliver improvements that go far beyond speed and connectivity.
Qualcomm, a major player in wireless innovation, is building on its 5G legacy to explore the possibilities of 6G, which is expected to integrate artificial intelligence, advanced IoT applications and seamless connectivity between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
Aimed for deployment in the 2030s, 6G promises to unlock new opportunities across all sectors and meet the growing demands of an increasingly connected world.
In an exclusive interview with Ny Breaking, John Smee, Global Head of Wireless Research at Qualcomm, discussed the future of 6G and outlined how the company plans to build on the developments of 5G and 5G Advanced.
He also highlighted Qualcomm’s role in contributing to the research and development of the technology, explaining that 6G will not only improve key performance indicators such as coverage, capacity and efficiency, but also enable transformative use cases such as digital twins and edge computing.
What are the key technological developments in 5G that pave the way for the development of 6G?
There are quite a few important developments in 5G and 5G Advanced that pave the way for 6G. Here are just a few examples:
- Air Interface Foundation: We believe 6G will build on the OFDM foundation, with a focus on improving coverage, spectral efficiency and capacity in both legacy FDD and TDD bands as well as new spectrum.
- MIMO/Duplex Evolution: 6G Giga-MIMO will enable new mid-band spectrum (6-15 GHz), providing additional capacity over a large area and reusing existing 3.5 GHz macro cell sites and backhaul. Evolution to full-duplex can provide better coverage and flexibility to meet growing data demands.
- Wireless AI: 5G Advanced ushered in the era of AI in wireless, improving network/device performance and efficiency. AI will be an integral part of 6G system design, with AI-native protocols across multiple layers of the stack.
- Wireless Sensing: The 5G Advanced Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) research can complement the positioning to make the wireless network more efficient and open new business opportunities for the ecosystem.
- Integrated TN/NTN: 5G introduced 5G non-terrestrial networks (NTN) by enabling satellites to provide global coverage using the cellular standard and modem implementations. It is expected that 6G will build on this foundation to support seamless interaction of terrestrial networks and NTN.
What impact do you think the transition from 5G to 6G will have on businesses, and are there specific sectors that will benefit most from this?
The transition from 5G to 6G is expected to significantly improve wireless connectivity, improving fundamental KPIs for coverage, capacity and performance while enabling new services such as AI, sensing and digital twins. 6G will be designed to meet the increasing data transfer needs of connected AI-powered devices. With a view to deployment in 2030, 6G can efficiently enable intelligent computing everywhere, creating new opportunities for value creation at the edge. Industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and education will continue their transformations to leverage connected AI and the enhanced capabilities of 6G.
Can you explain the role of AI, and specifically generative AI, in improving 5G networks and its potential impact on 6G?
AI is poised to significantly improve 5G and 6G system performance, operational efficiency and user experiences, and unlock new use cases at scale. For example, by using AI for network optimization, predictive analytics and automated configuration, these networks can achieve greater efficiency, reliability and security. Generative AI can simulate various network scenarios and create synthetic data to train machine learning models, ensuring robust network performance even in complex environments. These technologies enable advanced applications such as real-time edge computing, personalized services and seamless integration with a wide range of devices. Generative AI will also often be implemented on-device and as applications expand it will increase the demand for 5G and 6G communications data on uplink and downlink.
Native AI aims to make the system perform better by replacing functional blocks with AI implementations, or by letting AI better manage the protocol, network node, device, etc. so that it can adapt more flexibly to a support a greater variety of companies and organizations. consumer experiences. The native AI paradigm can provide more implementation flexibility and bring more innovation and differentiation to the devices and networks.
Native AI can take at least the following two forms:
- Replace existing functionality with AI – For example, there are a number of use cases in 3GPP (beam management, CSI feedback, positioning, mobility) that are being studied to see if there is a better solution with AI. One aspect of AI native is to incorporate more of these features across layers, protocols, and network/device for better performance with AI. Particularly relevant is the work in 3GPP and ORAN to improve network automation with AI and associated use cases. Cross node AI is also a possible example of this where the function is replaced by AI on the network and device.
- Enable AI as part of the protocol behavior – to change the actual protocols to be defined so that they are AI-friendly, so that the protocol can adapt to the combination of radio, device and application state to determine how best to serve traffic. This changes the way the feature works to integrate AI.
What are the expected benefits of 6G over 5G in terms of speed, latency and connectivity?
6G will not only be designed to achieve higher speeds and lower latency, but will also focus on bringing significant efficiency improvements in capacity, coverage, energy consumption and deployment costs. Furthermore, 6G will focus on enabling faster deployment of new services and expanding the surface area of opportunity for operators. The focus will be driven by use cases to create new value for the broader wireless ecosystem and society.
How will 6G technology influence the development of IoT and generative AI technologies?
6G will bring an integrated design for eMBB and IoT with shared goals of improved connectivity, expanded coverage, added functionalities such as positioning and sensing that allow the devices to communicate more effectively with their environment, and adding more IoT use cases. Ambient IoT, which will operate without batteries using energy harvesting techniques, will help spread low-cost IoT sensors and further integrate the physical and digital worlds. Networks and devices will support real-time AI processing and decision-making at the edge, creating value for IoT applications independent of centralized cloud systems.
How does Qualcomm contribute to the research and development of 6G technology?
Qualcomm has a rich history in wireless technology, including groundbreaking innovations in 5G technologies. We’re building a strong foundation to advance connectivity across all technologies, including 5G Advanced, 6G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more. We lead the technology research and development ecosystem and work closely with industry technology leaders such as mobile operators, OEMs and academia to bring future innovations to life.
How do you see the future of mobile communications evolving with the arrival of 6G?
The future of mobile communications with the advent of 6G is seen as a continuum building on the advancements of 5G, with an emphasis on the integration of AI into networks and devices. 6G aims to improve the efficiency and economics of existing and new use cases in the 2030s, such as multi-device subscriptions, fixed wireless services, AR glasses, self-driving cars and robots for elderly care. The evolution will also bring integrated sensing and communications, enabling new solutions such as digital twins and RF sensing. Additionally, 6G will leverage existing infrastructure to provide cost-effective upgrades in existing spectrum in uplink performance and edge data processing, and add significant capacity to new spectrum.