6G wireless technology

6G wireless technology

6G eGuide: Ten key enablers for 6G wireless communications

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The road to 6G

6G: The future of wireless communication

The next generation of wireless communication relies on revolutionary technology components that call for new ways of testing.

Every mobile network generation yields new features and a wealth of new opportunities. While the 5G New Radio (5G NR) network rollouts are in full swing, 6G is already starting to take shape and is expected to be launched around 2030.

Rohde & Schwarz has been closely involved in this process right from the start and actively supports the ongoing fundamental research activities at 6G organizations, universities and research institutes across Europe, in the US and Japan. Together with our partners and customers, we are actively adapting our test solutions to support this early research phase and to identify technology components which might ultimately become part of a 6G standard.

Looking to the future, Rohde & Schwarz is also a contributing partner in several 6G research projects funded by the German government. The most prominent is the 6G-Access, Network of Networks, Automation and Simplification (6G-ANNA) project.

6G-ANNA is a 3-year lighthouse project initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the advancement of 6G technology in Germany with the goal of developing a holistic plan for the next generation of cellular standards involving end-to-end architecture. As an industry partner, Rohde & Schwarz contributes to the project with its existing research on an AI-native air interface for 6G, in particular for a neural receiver with custom modulation.

Rohde & Schwarz is also involved in a number of other 6G research projects, as for example:

  • 6G-TakeOff: a project for the development of 6G network architecture aiming at introducing standardized 3D communication networks consisting of ground stations, airport platforms and satellites. These kinds of innovative concepts for network management must be developed. Rohde & Schwarz is working alongside other companies from the telecommunication and aerospace industries on a joint solution to provide connectivity.
  • KOMSENS-6G: a project on the integration of sensor technology into 6G communication systems enabling future applications in industry 4.0 and autonomous mobility with a focus on incorporating radar technology into 6G networks.
  • 6G-LICRIS: a project to develop reconfigurable intelligent surfaces using liquid crystal technology for future 6G standards. The goal is to introduce new materials based on liquid crystals, which are more suitable for higher frequencies.
  • 6G-ADLANTIK: a project focused on developing components for the THz frequency range based on photonic and electronic integration. Such newly developed components can then be used for innovative measurements and faster data transfers.
  • 6G-TERAKOM: a project to explore and develop a wireless communication system just below the terahertz range (D band) with integrated antennas. This will help to prepare industrial application ecosystems in Germany for the future sixth generation of mobile communication.

Main 6G testing research areas

What will constitute the backbone of 6G technology?

Academia and key industry players have identified several research areas for enabling the next generation of wireless communication – there is a number of 6G use cases.

A natural starting point is increasing bandwidth and boosting data throughput to new dimensions using (sub-)THz communication to propel 6G applications such as holographic communication and digital twinning. THz frequencies provide access to wider bandwidths, which are not only useful to boost peak data rates. Access to wider bandwidths will increase resolution to the millimeter range, further improving features like gesture recognition. It will also open up the possibility of changing the way we interact with and support extended reality (XR)-based applications, for example, the metaverse.

Compared to previous mobile network generations, 6G will take advantage of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), which is also sometimes referred to as joint communication and sensing (JCAS), that will integrate localization, sensing and communication into a future 6G standard.

5G-Advanced has already started paving the way for using artificial intelligence and its subset of machine learning in the next generation of wireless communications. These preparations will allow a 6G network to learn at least partially to configure, optimize and heal itself instead of relying solely on complex pre-planning procedures. As a next step, parts of the air interface, particularly signal processing algorithms, are expected to be supported and eventually replaced with machine learning models. Thus, a 6G wireless communication standard will natively support an AI-based air interface.

6G research also focuses on reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), a novel way of supporting a wireless communication link by reflecting and actively steering an incoming signal off surfaces using metamaterials.

Whatever direction the technology takes, Rohde & Schwarz is firmly at the forefront of 6G research. Early research, as well as the publication of a 6G standard, will require leading-edge 6G testing and measurement solutions to address a multitude of technical challenges posed by the various technology components currently under discussion. We are committed to overcoming these challenges to ensure an innovative outlook when shaping our wireless future.

Want to discuss your specific 6G test cases with our experts?

6G testing applications

THz communication

Our testing solutions for THz communications for high data rates in 6G networks.

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Integrated sensing und communication (ISAC)

ISAC greatly improves the efficiency and performance of 6G technology. Get to know our test solutions.

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Artificial intelligence and machine learning

AI and ML empower efficient and intelligent 6G networks. Learn about our ongoing research and upcoming test solutions.

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Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces

Learn about the immense potential of RIS to enhance the performance of 6G technology.

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