The 2022 Global 6G Development Conference opened recently. The theme of the conference is “Draw the Vision, Work Together”, focusing on the 6G vision. Nokia Bell Labs delivered a keynote speech on “6G, Foreseeing the Future”. The key trend of 6G as a bridge between the physical world, the biological world and the digital world was discussed, and it was clear that 6G is a powerful enabler for the future metaverse era. At the same time, on the basis of an in-depth analysis of 6G values, design principles, requirements and challenges, he also explained 6G network architecture innovation and key enabling technologies and emphasized the importance of 6G joint innovation.
First, 6G will be a powerful enabler for the future meta-universe era, supporting various potential application scenarios of the meta-universe, including the consumer meta-universe, the enterprise meta-universe with information interconnection technology as the core, and the industrial meta-universe with industry operation technology as the core. In fact, the core lies in two points: how to enhance human beings themselves; and how to better manipulate the physical world around us through the integration of the digital and physical worlds.
In order to help the future meta-universe era, 6G puts forward the corresponding requirements in terms of design principles of technology.
Sustainability: The main focus is to improve energy consumption per bit, that is, to improve energy efficiency and minimize carbon emissions.
Digital Inclusion: 6G needs to ensure full coverage, which cannot be accomplished by traditional terrestrial communication systems alone, but also requires organic integration of terrestrial, air, space, and even water communication systems, thus ensuring that 6G signals can reach every corner of the earth.
Security and privacy: This is especially important for 6G systems. The reason for this is multifaceted: the large number of devices accessible, the extensive use of artificial intelligence technologies, and various open interfaces, all provide opportunities for potential data interception. The existence of various hybrid clouds, open source, devices from different vendors, etc., all pose potential security risks.
In terms of 6G network architecture, the future 6G system is a network with highly cognitive, automated, specialized, and customized features.
The entire network architecture can be considered in 3 layers.
The first layer is the infrastructure layer. The concept of implementing various network functions on a cloud platform will continue and be enhanced.
The second layer is the network function layer. According to the different needs of different application scenarios, different network capabilities are provided to meet the KPI requirements of various applications, such as transmission latency, reliability, etc.
The third layer is the application layer. Based on the requirements of the respective business, the corresponding data transmission and processing tasks are realized with the help of the network infrastructure layer and functional layer under the arrangement of management and orchestration functions.
Finally, there is the management and orchestration function. This network function enables efficient management based on the KPI requirements of different applications, and also enables the corresponding data transfer with the help of various infrastructures as well as various functions of the network.
Nokia will address the challenges facing 6G through six key technology innovations, including new spectrum technologies, AI-based air interface technologies, pass-through integration technologies, the ultimate network, and technologies that ensure network security and reliability. Nokia calls on the industry to do more research in the prime 7-20 GHz band to explore its potential and drive its potential applications in the 6G era.
