The ITU 6G is mostly more than a decade away and hasn’t considered practicalities. Meanwhile, the networks can be improved in major ways. Ericsson & Huawei are testing cell-free Massive MIMO, a form of network or distributed Massive MIMO that the academics see as the next big advance.
Wang Tao has provided a framework for thinking about what’s needed. He proposes
- UCBC, to focus on the construction of uplink capabilities, which will be important for industrial IoT
- RTBC, focusing on the construction of broadband real-time interaction capabilities
- HCS scenarios, focusing on the construction of capabilities that integrate communication and perception. It would coordinate vehicle and road information
I’ve no idea on whether the telcos will support the extensive network upgrades these functions will require.
Huawei will bring these ideas to 3GPP shortly.
Wang Tao comments are based on reporting by Sina Technology.