The global rollout of 5G technology in 2019 marked a major milestone in wireless communications, as it opened the door to ultra-reliable, low-latency communications and high device density.
While this fifth generation of mobile communications is still in the process of being rolled out in many places, the industry is always forward-thinking. As a result, it's already focused on launching the next mobile communications standard: 6G.
Emerging applications like augmented and virtual reality, autonomous operations and intelligent automation are stretching the limits of 5G networks as they call for bandwidth levels that will soon outpace what 5G can reliably offer.
Attention is turning now toward 6G to support terabit-level speeds, microsecond latency and seamless connectivity.
How are mobile communication standards developed?
Mobile communication standards like 3G, 4G, 5G and 6G are developed as part of a global, collaborative process managed by 3GPP (the 3rd Generation Partnership Project).
3GPP works in phases called "release cycles." Every 18 months, certain features and technical details are revisited, developed, agreed upon and added to the standard. This allows the standard to evolve gradually over time to ensure global compatibility.
When is 6G being released?
Although 5G networks are still being expanded and enhanced, the industry began shifting its focus toward 6G two or three years ago as it started to create technical standards and define 6G’s features.
6G is still in development, and specific aspects of it are still being defined and detailed. It's set to roll out in the early 2030s, but not all features will be available when it launches.
What are the differences between 5G and 6G?
The main differences between 5G and 6G have to do with speed, latency and capacity.
- Speed: 5G has a maximum transmission speed of 20 Gb/s, while various speed values are being discussed for 6G. The goal is to achieve a transmission speed that’s up to 1,000 times faster than 5G.
- Latency: While 5G promotes a latency of approximately 1 ms, a 6G network promises latencies significantly lower than that.
- Capacity: 5G can handle up to 1 million endpoints within 1 square km, depending on the environment. Capacity varies depending on the number of obstacles, type of building materials in use and density of connected devices. Therefore, the maximum capacity might not be reached in a soccer stadium with lots of attendees in a confined space, or in an automotive plant containing metal that reflects and block signals. In comparison, 6G networks promise to handle more endpoints at the same time compared to 5G.
What are the use cases for 6G vs 5G?
The improvements from 5G to 6G present new possibilities for applications that require real-time (guaranteed transmission time) data connectivity. This is crucial for scenarios involving autonomous vehicles and remote machine operation.
5G can already support real-time data connectivity, but speed may be lacking. For example, remote robots and AGVs (automated guided vehicles) may move slower or have longer reaction times. This would obviously not be practical for an autonomous vehicle driving on a highway at 80 mph. For these types of applications, 6G promises more speed.
While OT networks already benefit from 5G integration today, 6G promises even better connectivity for sensors and wearables in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications, as well as more reliable, stable coverage.
6G will also support joint communication and sensing (JCAS). This allows data transmission to serve a dual purpose, not only transferring information but also sensing the environment, making it a valuable feature for industries like manufacturing, warehousing and healthcare.
What’s the relationship between 6G and AI?
AI applications for mobile devices are on the rise, which will also expand to professional domains, such as in industrial environments, to support actions like assisted or guided installation and maintenance procedures.
But AI requires large amounts of data to learn and improve. In most cases, this training takes place offline. At the end of a production shift, for example, machines upload data to the cloud or edge cloud, where AI is trained when not in operation. The newly trained AI is then downloaded and reloaded.
Bringing 5G and AI together has limitations. Data volumes to support AI applications are too large to be processed in the cloud. With 6G, however, it will be possible for AI applications to run directly in the cloud. There will be no need to connect it to an endpoint.
What's different about 6G's network design that enables these new capabilities? 6G networks are constructed similarly to legacy mobile/cellular networks, such as 5G and 4G (LTE). They have the usual components, such as:
- User equipment (UE)
- Access networks (AN)
- Core network
New with 6G, however, is that, in the AN, there's an advanced way to direct wireless signals through beamforming. This is done with reconfigurable surfaces and supported by AI. By integrating AI, 6G promises to improve industrial productivity.
Preparing your network for the 6G era
The evolution from 5G to 6G gives industries the chance to redefine how they communicate, automate and operate. With ultra-high speeds, extremely low latency, enhanced capacity and AI-driven network intelligence, 6G will unlock new applications that drive innovation.
Belden's complete connection solutions support the full lifecycle of evolving technologies. We can help you confidently adopt next-generation technology while making sure your existing systems maintain performance, security and scalability.
Learn more about how we collaborate.
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