Dr. Daljeet Singh
Section Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
5G is here, but 6G is already knocking on our doors. Communication has always been an important pillar of human life may it be wired or wireless. The first landmark advancement in the history of communication is the transition from the analog first generation (1G) developed around 1950s to the digital wireless communication which emerged in the early 1990s. The inception of 2G was merely based on providing voice communication in which basic service like short message service (SMS) was later mended. With time, as the popularity of the internet increased, it paved the way for the third generation (3G) which was more focused on providing data services. But it was soon when 3G became insufficient for the increasing number of users and escalating internet traffic. The next generation (4G) came in the form of Long Term Evolution (LTE) which has proved very successful in to cater the demands rising from human-centric communication applications such as high-definition video streaming, group video calling, real-time online gaming, etc. due to its decent downlink speeds.
These advancements in the communication industry have supported other sectors such as transport, healthcare, entertainment, defense, finance, etc. and created a variety of new services. These services demand a very high data rate (about 1 Tbps), low latency, incessant connectivity, ultra-low power consumption along with high mobility. LTE does not have such proficiencies to cater to all of these services. In years to come, 5G systems will endure further evolutions but the stimuli for advancements are already knocking on our doors. We are expected to soon go from virtual reality and augmented reality to extended reality making an artificial world by merging the real and virtual worlds. This will give rise to ideas and applications that are not yet materialized and will require enhanced capabilities than 5G which are affordable for everyone. Also, the size and power limitations of the mobile devices will entail cloud, fog, and edge computing tailored into the thread of AI.
This section is focused on next-generation telecommunication systems. The system architecture in 6G will have three primary fronts i.e. intelligent sensing, intelligent access, and intelligent cloud. The contemporary communication technologies being more human-centric and focusing on high performance will prove over-dimensioned while implementing these fronts. 6G will incorporate communication, computing, control, localization, and sensing on a single platform in order to deliver effectively on these fronts.
Although 6G seems to be a fitting tool to fulfill the dream of smart healthcare, several challenges still need to be addressed. The major challenge in this regard is spectrum management for all applications along a discontinuous spectrum. As forecasted by ITU-R, there will be almost 120 billion subscribers by 2030. Smart constant network resource allocation will be required in order to maintain sufficient Quality of Physical Experience (QoPE). The QoPE is a subjective indicator that will further require real-time and appropriate mapping to network performance indicators. Apart from this, the management of mobility issues (handovers) along with the implementation of context-aware systems (the network is conscious of all devices) will also pose further challenges in the successful implementation of 6G networks in healthcare applications. All of these issues can be addressed in this section.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Daljeet Singh
Section Editor