A

Technical Seminar Report

On

“6G & BEYOND: THE FUTUTRE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

SYSYTEMS”

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
in
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
By

Mr. A KOUSHIK (21TP1A 0503)

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

SIDDHARTHA INSTIUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

(Approved by AICTE , Affiliated to JNTUH & Accrediated by NBA,NAAC A+)
Vinobha Nagar, Ibrahimpatnam, Ranga Reddy Dist – 501 506, Telangana,India .

2024-2025

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Technical seminar entitled “6G & BEYOND :THE
FUTURE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS ” is being submitted
by Mr. A. KOUSHIK (21TP1A0503) in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the
award of BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY in COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad,
during the academic year 2024-2025.

Technical Seminar Coordinator HoD – CSE

Ms. V. Sowjanya M.Tech. Dr. P. Sunitha Ph.D
Assistant Professor Professor

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 INDEX
INDEX
Chapter No. Topic Page No.

1. Introduction 1
2. Enhancing Network Coverage 2
3. Use Cases 4
4. Intelligent Communication Environments 6
5. Pervasive Artificial Intelligence 8
6. Network Automation 11
7. 6G Radio: Reconfigurable Transceiver Front-Ends 13
8. Internet Of Space Things with CubeSats and Uavs 15
9. Technologies For Beyond 6G 17
10. Advantages And Drawbacks Of 6G & Beyond 19
11. Conclusion 21
12. Reference

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 CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

WIRELESS communication systems have experienced substantial revolutionary progress over

the past few years. Various stakeholders, including commercial solutions providers, academic
research groups, standards bodies, and end-users, have all greatly benefited from the radical
changes led by the most recent 5G developments, which include paradigm-defining techniques
such as network notarisation and virtualization, massive MIMO, ultra-densification, and the
introduction of new frequency bands. Numerous burgeoning applications and verticals,
including virtual and augmented reality (VAR), e-commerce, contactless payment, machine-to
machine communications, and enhanced mobile broadband, among others, have demonstrated
the vast potential of 5G, which continues to evolve and adapt to a wide variety of emerging use
cases.

However, as societal needs continue to evolve, there has been a marked rise in a plethora of
emerging use cases that cannot be served satisfactorily with 5G. For example, the next
generation of VAR, i.e., holographic teleportation, requires Tbsp.-level data rates and
microsecond-level latency, which cannot be achieved with even the millimetre wave (mm
Wave) frequency bands within 5G. Further, increasing industrial automation and the move from
Industry 4.0 to the upcoming Industry X.0 paradigm will push connectivity density well beyond
the 106 km2 metric that 5G is designed for, in addition to requiring an overhaul of existing
network management practices. Further, an increase in the connection density will also result
in demands for improved energy efficiency, which 5G is not designed for. Consequently, the
research community has gravitated towards addressing the aforementioned major challenges,
and we posit that ongoing research in the domains of terahertz band communications,
intelligent surfaces and environments, and network automation, for example, may very well
hold the key to the future of wireless.
• System Latency: This class of KPIs includes the end to-end latency metric, along with delay
jitter. We note that jitter is a new KPI for 6G that quantifies the latency variations in the system,
and is absent from 5G.

• Novel Network Architectures: The classical cell-based architecture of wireless networks

cannot scale to meet the area traffic capacity and connection density requirements put forth by
6G. Instead, 6G will need to incorporate communications infrastructure into the very fabric of
the environment.

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 CHAPTER-2

Enhancing Network Coverage

In order to achieve true wireless ubiquity, 6G will need to expand beyond terrestrial networks,
Incorp rating both near-Earth as well as deep-space connectivity. Towards the fulfilment of this
grand vision, we note that several enabling solutions have been conceived and are being
actively studied. As shown in Figure 1, these technologies include: (i) a network operating at
the THz band with abundant spectrum resources, (ii) intelligent communication environments
that enable a wireless propagation environment with active signal transmission and reception,
(iii) pervasive artificial intelligence, (iv) large-scale network automation, (v) an all-spectrum
reconfigurable front-end for dynamic spec Trum access, (vi) ambient backscatter
communications for energy savings, (vii) the Internet of Space Things enabled by CubeSats
and UAVs, and (viii) cell-free massive MIMO communication networks. We also make note of
three very promising technologies that are expected to shape the future of communications, yet
will not be sufficiently mature for 6G. These include: (i) the Internet of Nano Things, (ii) the
in telnet of Bio Nano Things, and (iii) quantum communications. Further, in addition to the
aforementioned key technologies, holistic security solutions will also be vital to the success of
6G. However, these fall outside the purview of this paper.

Further, we posit that while prior art concerning 6G wireless systems has been become
increasingly commonplace over the past year, a majority of the past publications in this domain

2
focus on a select few topics, potentially hampering a comprehensive overview in terms of key
aspects that are expected to shape the future of wireless communications. In addition,
discussion concerning beyond 6G systems such as the Internet of Nano Things, the Internet of
Bio nano things, and quantum communications is equally critical but largely absent from
existing publications. As research on 6G wireless systems continues to evolve and break new
ground, this paper is intended to equip readers with a targeted insight into the next generation
of wireless communications. More specifically, through this paper, we aim to deliver a holistic
roadmap for 6G and beyond wireless systems, replete with a detailed discussion surrounding
the use cases and key enabling technologies. The larger goal here is to

encourage the scientific community to work together towards tackling the critical research
challenges associated with the realization of the 6G systems. The rest of this paper is organized
as follows. In Section II, we present a wide variety of use cases that will be enabled by 6G.
Further, Sections III– VI present details concerning key technologies that are critical to the
success of 6G, along with a discussion on the major challenges faced by each. Then, in Section
XI, we discuss promising enablers for beyond 6G systems, followed by a timeline for the
evolution of 6G in Section XII. Finally, in Section XIII, we conclude this paper.

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 CHAPTER-3

USE CASES

The lessons learned from the continued evolution of 5G systems will serve as the backdrop for
use cases that will be best served by 6G. 5G first introduced the targeted use cases of enhanced
mobile broadband (EMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), and massive
machine type communications (MMTC), intended to serve a wide variety of applications.
However, as noted in Section I, there exist a plethora of applications for which the 5G KPIs are
not strict enough. As we come to realize the performance trade-offs in terms of throughput,
latency, coverage, energy efficiency, and reliability, associated with 5G systems, we can better
posit the applications that would benefit the most from 6G.

Multi-sensory Holographic Teleportation

While virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have immensely ben edited from EMBB
and URLLC introduced as part of 5G, there are many applications such as advanced healthcare
including remote diagnosis and surgery, high-resolution sensing for remote exploration, and
near-real person video conferencing that cannot be adequately served by a combination of AR
and VR. To this end, holographic teleportation has been recognized as the natural successor to
AR and VR-based solutions. Unlike existing solutions, holographic teleportation operates in a
true three-dimensional space and leverages all five senses– sight, hearing, touch, smell, and
taste, to provide a truly immersive experience. At the same time, we note that holographic tele
partition requires data rates close to 5 Tbsp. and an end-to-end latency of less than 1 Ms [8],
both of which are impossible to achieve with 5G systems. Thus, 6G, with its expected Tbsp.
level throughput and sub-millisecond latencies, will play a vital role in building upon the
groundwork established by EMBB and URLLC.

Real-time Remote Healthcare

The success of remote healthcare solutions primarily depends on both the quality as well as the
availability of connectivity [9]. Concerning the former, we note that through its use of key
enabling technologies such as THz band communications and network automation solutions,
6G will usher in the highest possible wireless communications quality focusing on very-high
throughput augmented with ultra-low latency. Concerning the latter, the Internet of Space
Things will play a vital role in pro vining pervasive connectivity, thus enhancing the availability
of rural healthcare solutions. Further, we expect that within the domain of healthcare, advances
in 6G and beyond will not only serve as a connectivity solution, but will also play a vital role
in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as detailed in Section XI-B.

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Autonomous Cyber-physical Systems
Autonomous vehicles and UAVs are some of the most promising cyber-physical systems in
existence today. The operation of these autonomous systems is characterized by the exchange
of large amounts of data between the constituent nodes, i.e., both vehicles and UAVs, relating
to high-resolution real-time map ping of the terrain, route optimization, and traffic and safety
information. While the resulting large volumes of data must be delivered within strict deadlines
in an error-free manner, it also imperative to note that these nodes typically operate at speeds
in excess of 100 km/h. Therefore, in addition to providing sub millisecond latency and very
high reliability, the connectivity solution that enables autonomous cyber-physical systems must
also offer robust operation at very high speeds, which is not possible with existing 5G systems.

Smart Infrastructure and Environments

The use cases discussed thus far primarily deal with the use of third-party systems that seek to
leverage advanced telecommunications infrastructure. Simultaneously, the evolution of such
infrastructure itself is an important use case. Going beyond network optimization strategies,
there is also a need for exercising control over the propagation of wireless signals. To this end,
we note that in 5G and its predecessor systems, the wireless communication environment has
always played a passive role. However, with the ever-increasing demand for data, as evidenced
by the applications presented herein, control over the manner in which electromagnetic waves
interact with the indoor and outdoor environment will be critical to the success of 6G. In this
direction, we posit that the intelligent communication environments described in Section IV
will play a leading role in the ubiquity and pervasiveness of the next generation of wireless
systems.

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 CHAPTER-4

INTELLIGENT COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENTS

Along with the rapid growth in the number of wireless devices, services, and applications, a
corresponding demand for higher speed wireless communications has burgeoned in recent
years. Nevertheless, the major challenge at mm Wave and THz-band frequencies is the limited
communication distance because of the remarkably high path loss inherent to small
wavelengths and the limited transmission power of mm Wave and THz-band transceivers.
Current solutions primarily focus on the advancement of wireless transceiver hardware and
software, as well as network optimization strategies. However, the wireless propagation
medium has been largely neglected. The wireless communication environments, for both
indoor and outdoor scenarios, can be actively utilized in order to become controllable for signal
propagation. To control signal propagation in environments is essentially to control how
electromagnetic waves interact with scatterers, which include indoor furniture and outdoor
buildings as well as other infrastructure.

4.1 Basics of Intelligent Communication Environments

The intelligent environments can be seen as a three-dimensional structure with several layers,
each with different functionalities. Recent research under the EU Research Project “Visor Surf”
has demonstrated a structure with five main layers, which are (from top to bottom) the EM
behaviour layer, the actuation and sensing layer, the shielding layer, the computing layer, and
the communication layer, respectively. Specifically, the EM behaviour layer is composed of
meta surfaces, a two-dimensional representation of metamaterials, and has a tuneable

6
impedance to control directions of reflection of the EM waves. Some other works use reflect
array antennas as the top surface. The actuation and sensing layer consist of circuits for phase
shifting and sensors for impinging signal sensing. Some options for actuation include PIN
diodes with controllable biasing voltage as switches in reflect array antennas, and
complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS) transistors as well as micro-electro
mechanical (MEMS) switches for meta surfaces.

4.2 Functionalities of Intelligent Environments

Bolstered by the layered structure, intelligent surfaces can enable controlled EM wave
operations. At micro- and mm Wave frequencies, meta surfaces are considered as a good
candidate. While at THz bands, graphene-based plasmonic antenna arrays are desirable. In
meta surfaces, a meta-atom is the smallest unit, which is a conductor with a size smaller than
half the wavelength of the signal. Meta surfaces can thus control the impinging EM waves
with a very fine granularity. The meta-atoms are interconnected by a set of miniaturized
controllers that connect the switches of the meta surfaces in the computing layer, while a
gateway serves as the connectivity unit in the communication layer to provide inter-element
and external control. At THz bands, when the meta surfaces do not yield optimal
performance, the graphene-based plasmonic antenna arrays serve as a promising alternative.

4.3 Use Cases of Intelligent Environments

With the utilization of well-coordinated tiles in the Intelligent Environments, the wireless
system can be greatly improved in terms of communication efficacy.

On Signal Propagation Enhancements: From the per spectate of multiple users and moving
users, the Intelligent Environments system is envisioned to serve a large number of users with
more realistic user patterns, including mobile users and users in a cluster. Additionally, the
Intelligent Environments system should ensure physical layer security against jamming and
eavesdropping, an increasingly important problem that remains to be solved.

• Transmission Distance: For users in the Nalos areas relative to the transmitter, the
Intelligent Environments system is expected to extend the transmission distance and reach
previously uncovered areas through waveguiding or reflection. Simulation results in
demonstrate that at 60 GHz the coverage can be extended to an entire Nalos area.
• Reliability: The primary efforts in terms of physical layer reliability include using highly
directional antennas to nullify jamming, forming exclusion areas, assigning secret keys to
legitimate users, and so on. From the perspective of fundamental propagation channels with
Intelligent Environments, good reliability is achieved when the eavesdroppers do not have the
knowledge of the frequencies where packages are transmitted, or the eavesdroppers are in the
same frequency channel but with much higher noise which makes the intercepted data
impossible to decode. Therefore, the dedicated links in Intelligent Environments are
inherently secure.

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 CHAPTER-5

PERVASIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In the past few years, the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has witnessed immense growth,
leading to its application in a wide variety of fields across both academia and industry. In the
realm of communications and signal processing, AI can be readily applied to cognitive radios,
remote sensing, computer vision, and network management. More specifically, in the domain
of wireless communications, AI and its associated algorithms are also gradually proving their
utility in various emerging techniques such as massive MIMO communications which requires
efficient channel estimation and symbol detection. Such tasks often do not yield low
complexity optimal solutions in complex channels, and thus parallel processing inherent in
machine learning can be favourably leveraged to enhance computational capacity. Admittedly,
even though current wireless communication networks follow a layered structure, in which
each layer primarily serves several functions, applications of AI and relevant algorithms are
gradually bridging the gap across layers in a way that can globally optimize the performance
in the entire wireless network.
However, in order to provide a marked trail to navigate through a plethora of pervasive AI
applications, this section is organized based on the existing layers. It is worth noting that AI is
a broad concept, under which reside several branches covering interleaved research topics, such
as robotics, natural language processing, machine learning (ML), computer vision, among
others. In this section, we focus specifically on the ML algorithms and their applications in
wireless communications under the AI umbrella.

These two terms are thus used interchangeably in this section. As shown in Figure 5, artificial
intelligence can be applied to each layer of the wireless network. At the network layer, machine
learning (ML) algorithms can be used for traffic clustering to further adapt the network
resources to various scenarios. At the physical and MAC layers, deep learning can optimize
resource allocation strategies for power distribution, and modulation and coding schemes,
among others. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms can also assist with channel
estimation and multi-user detection.

In the Internet of Space Things, with our envisioned multi-band communication capabilities in
both inter satellite and ground-to-satellite links, we have proposed a deep neural network-based
resource allocation strategy to enable a flexible scheme for CubeSats to stay connected without
human intervention from the ground.

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AI in Network Management and Orchestration
AI, or more specifically ML, has an integral role to play in the management of networks . In
fact, Clark et al. introduced the concept of the Knowledge Plane back in 2003, describing it as
a pervasive ML-based system within the network that is geared towards providing services and
advice to other elements of the network. More recently, with software defined networking
(SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) becoming mainstream, large-scale data
acquisition has become easier than ever before, making a strong case for ML based
management and orchestration primitives within 6G, ultimately leading to full network
automation as discussed in the next section.

• Supervised Learning: Supervised learning is typically applied to problems relating to traffic

prediction and classification, as well as slice resource prediction. While the former primarily
involves pre-emptively determining the network traffic load, as well as determining the
applications, protocols and QoS classes the traffic belongs to, for fine-grained traffic
engineering, the latter involves predicting the resource requirements associated with different
network slices based on the anticipated traffic load.
• Reinforcement Learning: Reinforcement learning typically finds use in problems associated
with resource management. For example, the popular virtual network embedding problem
wherein the network orchestrator performs optimal placement of virtual network functions onto
the underlying physical substrate, is highly amenable to reinforcement learning. Other
applications include elastic scaling of network infrastructure, failure prevention, and
configuration roll back.

• Unsupervised Learning: While both supervised learning and reinforcement learning have
shown significant promise in the network management domain, we note that there exist certain
use cases such as those relating to optimizing the end-users’ Quality of Experience (QOE) and
network security where: (i) labelled data for training is simply not present and (ii) the real time
nature of the application makes it impractical to wait for feedback. In such cases, unsupervised
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learning can prove to be an indispensable tool. For example, intrusion detection systems based
on autoencoders have been shown to outperform supervised learning-based systems.

Open Problems for Pervasive AI

During early years of 5G standardization, researchers have discussed potentials of AI in
achieving high time and spectrum efficiency once incorporated in 5G. Specifically, AI
algorithms can help facilitate the following tasks which would yield low efficiency with
conventional solutions: identify network anomalies, allocate network resources, perform
network management, among others [106]. However, so far these solutions have not been
officially adopted in 5G standards worldwide. In June 2020, the ITU has initiated an AI/ML in
5G challenge to motivate researchers to identify and solve real-world problems using AI/ML
solutions in relevant 5G directions 3. As such, it is envisioned that such efforts would be
factored in later 5G development but will be materialized in a more concrete and pervasive
manner in 6G.

While pervasive artificial intelligence in wireless communication networks will undoubtedly

bring a paradigm shift towards data-oriented approaches, there are still open problems to be
resolved. First, thus far no agreement has ever been reached on which algorithms work the best
to solve a generalized problem in wireless networks. Almost all published works claim
significant accuracy or reduced complexity with either analytical theories or practical data sets.
Additionally, we note the absence of an effective method to draw a fair comparison among all
proposed solutions, due to variations in selected data sets, assumptions, evaluation criteria, and
so on.

However, when it comes to realistic deployments, a careful gleaning process should be

performed in order to identify reasonable algorithms without loss of general applicability.
Second, the limited availability of quality datasets is detrimental to the testing and validation
of proposed classification or regression algorithms. Even though statistical machine learning
approaches can analytically prove the upper or lower bound of an empirical risk, the real risk
obtained from actual network traffic data can still vary.

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 CHAPTER-6

NETWORK AUTOMATION

A. Software-defined Programmable Data Planes

Being the most popular Southbound API, OpenFlow is synonymous with SDN and has been
featured widely in 5G networks. Yet, the stateless match-action abstraction implemented by
OpenFlow precludes true data plane programmability since it relies largely on static header
field matching. Within the context of this paper, we define data plane programmability as a
feature that allows data plane devices, such as switches, to expose their packet-processing logic
to the control plane in order for it be completely reconfigured if required. For example, the
controller should be seamlessly able to modify the packet parsing and processing pipeline as
required, add support for new protocols, and modify existing ones.

B. Automated Service Decomposition and Orchestration

Network slicing allows for the provisioning of differentiated services over the same physical
infrastructure, and has been a major research focus in the cellular domain. However, the slice
instantiation and deployment process is largely template-driven and requires manual
configuration. For example, current 3GPP network slicing specification is primarily based on
the concept of network slice templates (NSTs). An NST explicitly defines the virtual network
functions (VNFs) and associated service function chain that com prise a network service.
Consequently, such network slicing primitives allow for the deployment of a limited set of
network services, i.e., only those services for which a template has already been defined.
Clearly, an approach of this kind is not scalable because: (i) it does not provide a mechanism
to deal with new kinds of network services, and (ii) as network services increase in complexity,
the effort required to create and maintain templates will become an operational burden.

C. Self-driving Networks
For decades, the network operator has served as the centrepiece of network operations.
However, the increasing com laxity of communications networks coupled with the constant
state of flux brought forth by an ever-increasing number of connected devices has made the
task of real-time network man agreement nearly impossible for human operators. Therefore,
there is a strong case for transitioning from operator-driven networks to self-driving networks.
More specifically, self-driving networks are expected to allow for elastic utilization of
resources, error-free operation, prompt and targeted responses to security incidents, and
proactive rather than reactive service handling. Seeking complete automation of network
management, a self-driving network is defined as a network where: (i) network measurements
are task-driven and tightly integrated with the control of the network, and (ii) large-scale data

11
analytics and machine learning models are used for network control, as opposed to closed-form
models of individual protocols.

While the former describes in explicit detail how a particular procedure should be carried out,
the latter just describes the end-goal without specifying how the stated goal should be achieved.
For example, “reduce network congestion by shifting incoming traffic originating at ingress
node 1 from load balancer 2 to load balancer 3” is an imperative intent since it explicitly defines
the steps that network must undertake in order to relieve congestion.

• Automated Real-time Inference: Machine learning is vital to the automated decision-

making process in self-driving networks. However, previous work in this domain has largely
focused on applying pre-existing learning techniques for network control, which are not well
suited for network data, given its high-volume, distributed nature, and rapid evolution. The
major challenge here is the native integration of inference and control algorithms with the
network’s decision and control fabric. In addition, network design needs to evolve to improve
the quality of data that is input to the designed control algorithms. Within the domain of self-
driving networks, it is widely accepted that quality of data (QOD) is a pre requisite for quality
of service (QoS).

• In-band Telemetry: Research into in-band telemetry (INT) has been largely driven by the
need for high quality network monitoring data, without introducing additional overhead. The
INT approach makes use of programmable data planes to encapsulate additional metadata
within the data packets themselves. Examples of such meta data include switch processing
times, buffer occupancy levels, and even specific policy rules.

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 CHAPTER-7

6G RADIO: RECONFIGURABLE TRANSCEIVER FRONT-ENDS

The massive increase in the number of wirelessly inter connected devices, combined with the
ever-growing demand for higher wireless data rates, is leading to an overcrowded
electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. To overcome the spectrum scarcity problem and increase the
capacity of wireless networks, communication at frequencies beyond RF (i.e., from the mm
Wave to the THz bands) is required. To meet the data-rate, reliability, and scalability
requirements from RF to THz, transformative solutions are needed which include the design,
implementation, and optimization of frequency agile, ultra-broadband reconfigurable systems.
A system of this kind is able to simultaneously sense and communicate over the full EM
spectrum (1GHz to 10 THz), and serves as a major contributor towards the infrastructure
needed for the next generation of wireless communications. To realize this vision, pioneering
contributions are required in terms of: (i) new devices that surpass the limits of CMOS
technology by leveraging the state-of-the-art in materials science and nanoscale physics, (ii)
heterogeneous integration of such devices which is compatible with the electrical, thermal, and
EMI requirements for reconfigurability and manufacturing scalability, and (iii) novel all-
spectrum dynamic sensing and communication algorithms, which maximize the achievable
network capacity.

A. Dynamic All-Spectrum Sensing and Access

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In recent times, a concentrated research effort at the physical and link layers has driven exciting
progress at RF frequencies for individual cognitive radios (CRs). For example, a recently
awarded research project by the Research and Innovation Program in the United Kingdom
named “6G Mitola Radio” aims to establish self-regulating societies for wireless
communications with fairness and high efficiency 4. This research will facilitate seamless
convergence across heterogeneous wireless networks with intelligent decisions made by radios
to maximize the quality of experience for end-users. One step further, a major challenge is to
develop innovative spectrum sensing and sensing-informed communication and network
optimization techniques for dynamic access to all spectral resources. Within this context, the
targeted break through would be the development of wireless network-aware state inference
using all-spectrum cartography for cognition over the swath of frequencies from RF to the THz
bands, along with cartography-constrained algorithms for the physical and cross-layer control
protocols. Artificial intelligence and associated learning algorithms should be investigated for
dynamic spectrum sharing with a minimum cost in interference. The techniques developed
should wholly exploit the capabilities of the hybrid front-ends, which include a multi-band
transceiver design and solutions for resource management.

B. Multi-band Transceiver Design

The optimal selection of materials and devices needed to enable all-spectrum communications
is vital to the success of any multi-band transceiver design. Existing solutions mostly rely on
CMOS for multi-band operations, but such an approach only works well in narrow bands.
Moreover, solutions based on software-defined radios (SDRs) have high energy consumption
and carbon footprint, consuming several Watts in operation. Instead, novel approaches based
on metamaterials, MEMS switches, and even nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)
switches should be sought to implement hybrid front-ends (Figure 8), which are able to
simultaneously sense the EM spectrum, identify the best available band, and communicate over
it, at frequencies anywhere from 1GHz to 10THz. Furthermore, fast-evolving deep learning
algorithms serve as an efficient solution for identifying available spectrum, tuning channels,
and adjusting RF power levels.

C. Open Problems
The biggest hurdle to be overcome lies in the implementation of an integrated ultra-broadband
hybrid front-end that is capable of sensing and communication from the RF to the THz bands,
over a target distance of a few hundred meters. Meeting this multidisciplinary challenge
requires us to: (i) close the THz gap by developing new device technologies, (ii) design and
integrate re-programmable circuitry, interconnects and antennas that can support all-spectrum
operation.

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 CHAPTER-8

INTERNET OF SPACE THINGS WITH CUBESATS AND UAVS

The Internet of Space Things (IOST) is a spatial expansion of the Internet of Things which
primarily focuses on terrestrial use cases. For future communication networks, this expansion
is necessary for the following reasons: (i) the IoT relies heavily on existing infrastructure and
hence lacks flexibility as well as scalability, (ii) global coverage is impossible using traditional
IoT solutions, especially in remote areas including the North and South Poles, due to the
imbalance of construction expenditure and service revenue, and (iii) limited heterogeneity and
spectrum resources in the IoT network.

CubeSats are a set of miniaturized satellites with sizes ranging from 1U to 6U (a “U” is 10 ×
10 × 10 cm3). Currently, CubeSats are being deployed for a variety of applications including
Earth sensing, positioning, and IoT and machine-to-machine communications. Compared to
traditional LEO satellites, CubeSats present a number of advantages relating to (i) lower costs
and shorter development cycles and (ii) higher flexibility and scalability. Normally the
development cycles range from three to seven years for traditional LEO and GEO satellites and
the costs are extremely high. Also, since the payloads are pre-determined in the LEO and GEO
satellites from the period of development until deployment, it is difficult to reconfigure any
component in the middle of the process.

15
However, CubeSats’ development can be done in a remarkably shorter time using COTS
components with much lower costs. This also guarantees that CubeSats are easily
reconfigurable.

A. Multi-Band Communications Subsystem

The primary motivation for a multi-band communications subsystem comes from the fact that
existing CubeSats have limited communications capabilities, largely relying on spectrum
ranging from the L- (1–2 GHz) till the Ka- (26.5 40 GHz) band. There are two major drawbacks
associated with this approach. First, the traditional frequency bands are becoming increasingly
prone to congestion. Second, the TBPS-level throughput required by IOST cannot be achieved
with existing frequency bands. To overcome the spectrum scarcity and capacity limitations in
current satellite networks, we have proposed the use of multiple frequency bands from RF to
THz spectrum, in IOST. The use of such frequencies has been made possible by advances in
high-frequency device development. More specifically, as part of the multi-band
communications subsystem, we have developed both multi-frequency transceivers as well as
antenna systems, as described next.

B. System Constellation Design

Within the context of IOST, an ideal constellation design is crucial to achieve true global
coverage and satisfactory link performance. However, conventional LEO constellations are
typically characterized by the presence of fewer than a hundred satellites, for example, the
CubeSat-based IoT system, Astro cast, has a maximum of 64 satellites. At the outset, the
coverage and connectivity offered by such systems leaves much to be desired. Motivated by
the need for improved coverage, reliable connectivity, and increased redundancy, mega-
constellations of several hundred satellites have gained significant traction over the past year.

16
 CHAPTER-9

TECHNOLOGIES FOR BEYOND 6G

Internet of Nano Things

In addition to the need for more spectrum resources to accommodate a plethora of wireless
devices and services, a variety of transformative wireless communications scenarios are also
envisioned to become a reality in the near future. In particular, with the advent of wireless
ubiquity, we note the existence of situations where electromagnetic waves do not yield
acceptable performance or lack reachability due to hard ware limitations, such as in high-
salinity water or intravascular channels where the transmission range can be extremely short.
In the aforementioned application scenarios for THz band communications, as the frequencies
of operation increase, the wavelengths of signals fall into the nanometres range (i.e., 10−9 to
10−7 meter in size), thereby motivating studies on nano network communications.

• Nano-nodes: are the basic functional units in the nano network, and have sizes ranging from
1 to 100 nanometres, and can form a cluster to forward and receive signals. Atypical nano-node
with full transcribing capability con trains the following elements: a nano-antenna and a
plasmonic nano-transceiver based on graphene advancements to propagate SPP waves, a nano-
processer with operating frequency close to 1 THz, nano-actuators, nano-sensors which can
sense external force, gas molecules, and bio logical objects such as antigens and antibodies, a
nano memory which allows storage of a bit signal in a single atom, a nano-battery , and an
energy nano-harvester which transfers energy to power other elements.

• Nano-Cameras: The nano-cameras are based on nano photo sensing and nanotechnology to
sense, combine, and process light signals before transforming them into electric signals. This
system includes nano-photodetectors, nano-lens, nano-batteries, and nano-memories in order
to achieve fine-resolution imaging and signal processing. The nano-cameras can be applied to
a wide range of scenarios including but not limited to intravascular imaging and fracture
detection in oil pipelines.

• Nano-robots for IONT: The nano-robots in nano networks can be deployed in environments
such as nu clear power plants and oil pipelines which might be hazardous for humans to
perform tasks but require high precision and do not allow massive drilling or digging over
existing infrastructure. Under these circumstances, nano-robots can be dissipated to sense and
collect data relating to chemical concentration, and fluid speed, among others. By forming ad-
hoc networks, the nano-robots can aggregate and forward data packets to gateways in the IONT.
Nano-robots are also being widely researched in biomedical engineering fields.

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Key characteristics of 6G:
• Data Rates and Latency: 6G networks are expected to provide download speeds of
100 times faster than 5G, with data rates exceeding 1 terabit per second (TBPS).
Latency will be reduced to a near-instantaneous experience, potentially under 1
millisecond.

• Global Connectivity: Seamless connectivity across terrestrial, air, and space domains
(via satellite systems) will enable communication in remote and underserved areas.

• Network Slicing and Virtualization: The ability to create customized virtual networks
for different types of services or applications, enabling tailored user experiences.

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 CHAPTER-10

Advantages and Drawbacks of 6G and Beyond

Advantages of 6G
1.Ultra-High-Speed Data Transfer

Advantage: 6G promises to deliver download speeds of up to 1 terabit per second (TBPS), far
surpassing the speeds of 5G. This could revolutionize sectors like entertainment, healthcare,
and media, enabling real-time ultra-high-definition content streaming, advanced holography,
and large-scale data analysis.

2.Ultra-Low Latency
Advantage: With latency expected to drop to as low as 1 millisecond or even lower, 6G will
enable near-instantaneous communication. This is crucial for time-sensitive applications such
as autonomous vehicles, remote surgeries, real-time industrial automation, and augmented
reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) experiences.

3.Seamless Global Connectivity

Advantage: 6G will provide seamless connectivity not just across cities and countries but also
in remote and rural areas, including via satellite systems (LEO satellites). This will bridge the
digital divide, making global communication and services available to underserved
populations.

4.Enhanced Network Intelligence (AI-Driven)

Advantage: Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into 6G will
make networks highly self-organizing, self-optimizing, and self-healing. These smart networks
will automatically manage traffic, allocate resources efficiently, detect anomalies, and adapt in
real-time to user needs.
5.New Applications and Services

Advantage: 6G will unlock new industries and services. Innovations such as holographic
communication, immersive extended reality (XR), and smart cities will become more viable
and widespread. It will enable transformative applications in healthcare, transportation,
manufacturing, education, and entertainment, improving quality of life.

Drawbacks of 6G
1.High Infrastructure Costs

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Drawback: The deployment of 6G will require a complete overhaul of existing infrastructure,
including new base stations, antennas, and the integration of satellite systems. The cost of
deploying 6G technology globally could be extremely high, particularly in low-density or rural
areas where the return on investment may be lower. This could delay universal rollout and
increase costs for consumers.

2.Spectrum Management and Interference

Drawback: 6G is expected to operate in the terahertz (THz) frequency range, which presents
significant challenges in terms of spectrum management. These frequencies have limited range
and are more susceptible to interference, absorption by rain or obstacles, and signal attenuation.
Managing these challenges will require advanced technologies and innovative solutions.
3.Energy Consumption

Drawback: The next generation of wireless networks is likely to have higher energy demands
due to increased data throughput and the use of energy-intensive technologies like AI and
quantum communication. Ensuring that 6G remains energy-efficient, especially with the
integration of billions of devices and constant data transfer, will be a critical challenge.
Balancing energy consumption and sustainability will be key.

4.Security and Privacy Concerns

Drawback: While 6G promises better security through technologies like quantum encryption,
the more interconnected, intelligent, and data-driven nature of the network could lead to new
vulnerabilities. The massive amounts of data collected and transmitted could be exploited by
malicious actors if not properly safeguarded, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance.

5.Health Concerns

Drawback: The potential health impacts of exposure to the higher frequencies used in 6G
(especially terahertz waves) are not fully understood. Public concerns regarding
electromagnetic fields (EMF) and their possible long-term effects on human health may arise
as 6G deployment becomes more widespread. Ongoing research and regulation will be
necessary to address these concerns.

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 CHAPTER-11

CONCLUSION

We envision that 6G and beyond wireless systems will be largely driven by a focus on wireless
ubiquity, i.e., the unrestricted availability of high-quality wireless access. To this end, we have
highlighted the key enabling technologies that are vital to the success of 6G and beyond
systems. By detailing both the operational nuances and open challenges associated with each,
we not only hope to provide a detailed insight into the next frontier in wireless communications,
but also encourage readers to play their part in the realization of the envisioned ubiquitous
wireless future.

The advent of 6G represents the next frontier in wireless communication, promising to

revolutionize the way we connect, interact, and share information. With ultra-high speeds,
ultra-low latency, and the integration of advanced technologies such as AI, quantum
communication, and satellite systems, 6G will enable new applications across industries like
healthcare, transportation, entertainment, and more. It holds the potential to create a hyper-
connected world where smart cities, autonomous systems, and immersive experiences are
commonplace, dramatically improving quality of life.

However, the path to 6G is not without its challenges. The high infrastructure costs, energy
consumption, and complexity of managing a diverse network of technologies pose significant
hurdles. Additionally, issues related to security, privacy, the digital divide, and health concerns
need careful consideration and proactive solutions.
In conclusion, while 6G offers tremendous opportunities, its success will depend on
overcoming these challenges through innovation, collaboration, and careful planning. By
addressing the technical, societal, and environmental issues head-on, 6G can pave the way for
a more interconnected, intelligent, and sustainable future. The development of 6G is not just a
technological leap—it’s an opportunity to shape the future of communication and create a more
inclusive and equitable digital world.

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 REFERENCE

1. "The 6G Wireless Revolution: Emerging Technologies and Research

Challenges"
• Source: IEEE Communications Magazine

• Link: IEEE 6G Wireless Revolution

• This article discusses the key emerging technologies and challenges associated with the
development of 6G, including terahertz communication, AI, and machine learning
integration.

2. "6G Vision and Requirements: The Role of Machine Learning and AI"
• Source: Journal of Communications and Networks (JCN)
• Link: 6G Vision and Requirements

• This paper explores the crucial role of AI and machine learning in the development of
6G networks and outlines the research challenges ahead.

3. "6G: The Next Horizon: From Connected People to Connected

Intelligence"
• Source: Samsung Research

• Link: Samsung 6G White Paper

• Samsung's white paper provides an in-depth analysis of 6G, focusing on emerging

technologies like AI, holographic communication, and next-gen wireless connectivity.

4. "6G: The Road to 2030"

• Source: Nokia Bell Labs

• Link: Nokia Bell Labs 6G Report

• This report from Nokia Bell Labs examines the future of wireless technology, detailing
the technological and societal implications of 6G.

5. "Towards 6G: A New Wave of Connectivity"

• Source: Huawei Technologies
• Link: Huawei 6G Report

• Huawei’s report highlights the upcoming changes in wireless technology, covering

aspects such as the integration of AI, quantum communication, and the role of terahertz
frequencies in 6G.

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