Nokia Jots Down What 6G Would Look Like

Earlier this month, Nokia, the Finnish telecom vendor, decided to have a say on what the 6G network will look like.

Nokia's Idea of 6G

Nokia's Bell Labs, and the Core Research President, Peter Vetter, published a blog titled Nokia's Vision for the 6G Era. The blog video opens with the following words. "Imagine a world that fuses the digital, physical and human domains to create revolutionary immersive experiences". Nokia has said that the next generation of mobile networks will become so ubiquitous that the lines between the physical and the digital worlds will start to fade. The blog said that it will become harder to discern humans from the technology they will use.

While that might be giving 6G a bit too much credit, it will surely enable the likes of Google, Facebook, and Microsoft to track each and every single move we make. Not that they don't do it already, but this might extend into the physical world. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Removing the tinfoil hat, the benefits of 6G will become clearer. Of course, 5G has all these benefits that we are yet to see, but the blog said that the generation after it will go above and beyond. "6G will meet these expectations and even go beyond by reformulating the very concept of network communications," the blog said.

What Will 6G Be?

Nokia's blog identified six new features of the sixth generation of mobile networks.

First, It will take AI/ML from being an enhancement to being a foundation. 6G will take a "clean slate" approach, and that will allow it to ensure the best interaction between two endpoints. Therefore, the network after 5G will make connectivity even more efficient.

Second, 6G will use, like 5G, the mid-band spectrum. The band has been called the "Goldilocks" band, and rightly so; it has just the right amount of range and capacity to support the extreme MIMO 6G will use. Most likely, 6G will use spectra in the 7-20 GHz band, building on 5G-Advanced, and taking localization further. What's more, 6G will also be capable of using spectrum in the terahertz range, to deliver extreme speeds and extremely low latencies. What's more, it will improve the URLLC, addressing the extreme connectivity requirements in specialized subnetworks.

Third, the new network will be able to "sense" the environment it finds itself in. That means that the network will become so ubiquitous that it will become a source of situational awareness. The network will collate signals after bouncing them off objects, determining the type, shape, relative location, velocity, and even material properties. This means that the new network will not only make out the environment it is in but also make intelligent decisions accordingly.

Along with this, 6G will also bring, according to Nokia and Bell Labs, new network and service orchestration solutions. With cloud-native principles, AI, and ML, the new network will result in network automation and agility never seen before. Furthermore, it will use zero-trust infrastructure, protecting against large-scale traditional threats, along with the new ones.

Where's Nokia Going with This?

Of course, Nokia wants to establish itself as a leader in the 6G market. And thus, the motive of the blog is easy to spot. By the end of the 2020s, the new network will become a reality across many countries, with 5G achieving ubiquity by then. However, mobile technology standards are not a job for a single company or a country. Therefore, collaboration is what will make 6G a reality. For now, all we can do is wait. India has publicly stated its desire to deliver significant contributions to the next generation.

Exciting time ahead, hopefully.