Destination 6G: Next Stop 5G Advanced
Future-proof your networks now to assure service for next-generation networks.
Ready or not, 5G has ushered in many emerging technologies, and it is advancing the technology ecosystem onward to 6G. The sixth generation of wireless technology promises to seamlessly blend the physical, digital, and human worlds for an immersive sensory experience. 6G has underlying use cases that will require increased capacity with high data rates and low latency to meet stringent bidirectional reliability requirements across countless devices with near-zero response time to support the network and user experiences—with a focus on these areas:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
- Spectrum bands
- A network capable of spatial sensing
- Extreme connectivity
- New network architectures
- Security and Trust
But on the way to 6G, there is 5G Advanced, which is crucial for advancing to 6G in the subsequent decade. The industry will need to establish further standards to overcome key technical challenges. Extensive planning will be needed to meet more stringent end-to-end latency, jitter, and synchronization requirements of a wide range of potential applications, such as remote medicine and telesurgery, mixed reality, five-sense networks with fully tactile haptics for immersive gaming, smart cities, and time-engineered services. Think the metaverse.
The Metaverse: Uniting the Digital and Physical Worlds
The metaverse—a digital world that will embrace interoperability for digital engagements such as training, system testing, and entertainment such as worldwide gaming and concerts—is expected to become more advanced with 6G. Imagine having your own representative icon in the metaverse, connecting with a special group of friends across the globe to attend a concert of your favorite musician: a wonderful, shared experience available from the comfort of your location, with no need to travel.
Carriers are already engaging with metaverse platform vendors to create experiences in service areas such as storefronts, training, and device testing. Carriers’ contributions to the metaverse will go beyond connectivity to enabling edge services such as network slicing and forming partnerships for successful business outcomes. Research predicts that by 2027 the metaverse will account for 70 percent of annual media traffic growth.
Paving the Way to 6G
The commercial launch of 6G is expected in 2030. 5G Advanced networks are predicted to be deployed starting in the next three to five years. Once available, 5G Advanced is expected to pave the way for greater wireless capabilities that will expand connectivity and introduce a host of innovative, game-changing services for enterprise customers.
This advanced version of 5G will enhance basic radio and system performance while at the same time extending mobile broadband to new types of devices that will facilitate important new use cases. By introducing greater intelligence into the network via ML and AI, 5G Advanced will be able to adapt to its environment, supporting immersive extended reality (XR) experiences; edge computing applications; holographic communications; and exciting new Internet of Things (IoT) innovations related to smarter manufacturing, farming, and health-related services—to name just a few.
Service Assurance for Next-Generation Networks
Assuring the next generation of wireless services will require a high degree of automation. Such automation will be needed for everything from troubleshooting misconfigurations to cybersecurity protection. Cloud-based AI tools will enable operators to better understand the root cause of problems, assisting teams in preventing those problems from proliferating.
Operators will need to assure service for next-generation networks to support service-level agreements (SLAs) and mission- and business-critical services, as well as emerging applications. The increased complexity of a future 6G network and demands on service assurance will necessitate advanced, AI-powered automation. Without such assistance, the potential for a suboptimal customer experience is far too great.
Highly scalable monitoring solutions that have been designed for the cloud will be instrumental in successfully delivering actionable insights into the reliability and latency of tomorrow’s 6G networks, applications, and services. Future-proof your networks now.
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