What is 6G Technology, How Fast Will it be, and When is it Rolling Out?

What is 6G?

6G is the upcoming successor of the 5G cellular technology. The blueprint of 6G is a theoretical concept that amalgamates a varied set of ideas and theories that will connect automobiles, mobiles, laptops and other devices over Wi-Fi.

However, in media interviews and research papers, wireless companies like Samsung and Nokia described 6G as an internet-based system that is fully integrated and allows instantaneous communications between users, vehicles, devices, and the environment.

How will 6G Technology Work?

A team from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Osaka University described their findings related to 6G in a paper published in Nature Photonics. According to the findings, data transmission can be enabled at a rate of 11 gigabits per second. This speed tops the theoretical maximum speed of 5G which is of 10 gigabits per second.

6G is believed to be 100 times faster than 5G and would operate at an extremely high speed that would allow users to download 142 hours of Netflix videos in a second. However, researchers are still trying to find out a way in which these ultra-speedy connections can be made possible. They believe that with efficient research and development, 6G technology can finally turn to reality.

6G vs. 5G vs. 4G

What are the Experts saying Regarding the Features of 6G?

According to the experts, the 6G technology will have the following features -

• 1 Terabytes Per Second Speed
  
  Dr. Mahyar Shirvanimoghaddam, an expert in wireless technology at the University of Sydney, estimates that 6G networks would allow users to a get maximum speed of 1 terabyte per second on an internet device.
  The 6G network is comparatively 1000 times faster than 1Gbps – the maximum speed available on home internet networks today. It is also 100 times faster than the hypothetical maximum speed of 5G, which is 10 Gbps.
   
• Edge Computing and Artificial Intelligence
  
  Giuseppe Abreu and Razvan-Andrei Stoica, two top researchers at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany, estimated that 6G could depend on “collaborative AI” to assist self-driving cars to communicate with one another and determine the best routes from source to destination 
  
  Another expert at the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, Roberto Saracco, predicted that technologies like edge computing and AI could assist devices to transform themselves into network antennas wherein they would be able to maintain a user’s Wi-Fi connection in an ever-changing group of users and their devices.
   
• Immersive Technologies
  
  Experts believe that in the era of 6G, new and immersive technologies like wireless brain-computer interfaces, connected implants, and cellular surfaces will become the key players. Walid Saad, the chief author of a July 2019 white paper on 6G, assessed that with the advent of 6G, there would be smart wearables with the ability able to take direct sensory inputs from  human’s senses.

Who is working on the Development of 6G?
Major infrastructure companies like Samsung, Nokia, and Huawei have announced about their research and development for 6G.

• The University of Oulu in Finland is working on a 6G research initiative known as the 6Genesis. The project is anticipated to go on for the next eight years.
• Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, South Korea, is working on research related to the Terahertz frequency band for 6G and envisages data speeds that would be 5 times faster than 5G networks and 100 times faster than 4G LTE networks.
• The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) is directly monitoring and investing in the research and development process related to the 6G technology.
  
  Though users still do not have access to the technological features of 5G network, companies have already kick-started their research to find the next successor. Scientists and visionaries believe time is running out and hence, are relentlessly working to bring the new network in the world.
  
  According to a white paper by Samsung, on an average, it requires 10 years for the arrival of a new standard of cellular technology. However, 5G required took only eight years. According to Samsung, the possible deployment date of 6G can be in 2030. Thus, wireless companies must start working now to keep up with the pace of progress of the 6G development.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.