5G has not yet reached everywhere in the world and the development of 6G technology is already underway. Although there is still no prediction of how long it will take before it is in public use, scientists and engineers from around the world are researching and developing this new generation of wireless technology.

2020 was the year in which 6G began to be discussed as a possibility and, since then, governmental and private entities have made efforts to launch this technology on the market as soon as possible.

Within the race to develop 6G technology, there are countless countries that spare no effort or financial investment to reach that goal first. China and South Korea are those that have already made the biggest investment, while the USA relies on Nokia Bell Labs and Intel companies to conduct its research and development. Finland and the European Union, in their turn, are also committed to making 5G evolve into the next generation of this technology, with exclusive programs for its development – such as the EINSTEIN6G and DESIRE6G projects.

 

Table of Contents

What is 6G technology?

• 6G technology vs 5G technology
• The 6G advantages and disadvantages

 

The 6G technology applications

• 6G in industry 4.0
• 6G in the healthcare sector
• The transversal application of 6G technology

 

What is 6G technology?

As a new generation of wireless technology, 6G technology will be a more efficient and faster telecommunications network than 5G (already spread across numerous countries and with many users). With the advances already made in the development of this technology, it is possible to determine that the 6G infrastructure will have the same basis as that of 5G. However, if 5G uses 40 data flow layers, it is predicted that 6G will only use 18.

Furthermore, it is also anticipated that 6G technology will use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to be able to make decisions for itself at each layer.

 

6G technology vs 5G technology

Despite both having the same infrastructure, 5G and 6G technology have substantial differences between them:

A 6G network will use higher frequencies than 5G, which will be translated into greater and faster data transfer capacity. Broadband capacity will also be wider, allowing more users to use the network and applications with large data flows simultaneously.

In terms of network latency, 6G technology will be able to support one microsecond of latent communications – a thousand times faster than existing 5G.

One of the biggest differences between both technologies is the fact that 5G technology has other allied technologies, but as an external part of the network. 6G, however, may have Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (among others) integrated into its infrastructure.

 

The advantages and disadvantages of 6G

Some of the advantages of 6G technology have already been highlighted, such as the fact that it allows faster data flow and has fewer delays when transferring data from one point to another. These, however, are not the only advantages to point out.

6G will be:

• More reliable, as it provides more efficient data transfer and communications with fewer failures.
• More stable, as it will allow a higher number of mobile connections, on several different devices, without interference.
• More capable, in terms of data flow rates on the 6G technology network.
• More efficient, as it will provide the connection of numerous devices, but also users and, consequently, will allow a greater flow of data with fewer failures.

Despite the numerous advantages that 6G technology will bring to the world of telecommunications, it may also have some disadvantages to highlight. The first is the fact that, because it is still a technology in development, it is difficult to conclude the true benefits it will bring – even though it is possible to make some predictions.

In addition to this, 6G technology may:

• Be more expensive to install and disseminate than 5G.
• Be more difficult to use, for most people, as it could have many more uses and provide more options compared to 5G technology.
• Need more integration of different links, so that connectivity between all layers of the infrastructure communicate harmoniously.

 

Applications of 6G technology

6G technology, as it is expected to be faster and have less latency, could have applications in all sectors. The application of this technology will allow for a digital dimension of the physical world, the monitoring of industrial processes, the management and prediction of personal, social, and even environmental occurrences, and with the development of a metaverse that is increasingly similar to the real world.

 

6G in Industry 4.0

Industry will be one of the sectors that might benefit the most from 6G technology, as it will allow automation with fewer failures, acceleration in production and faster communication between the various departments and even between partner companies.

Given that 6G will be able to integrate several other technologies into its network, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology, on which the industrial sector is dependent, will benefit.

Thus, with a greater capacity for data transfer and integration between various emerging technologies, the production of goods can be faster and more efficient and have fewer costs for companies.

To make these benefits reach companies more quickly, Nokia and Bosh have joined forces to develop industrial IoT solutions ready for 6G technology. In this way, when 6G is launched on the market, there will already be real applications for industry 4.0.

 

6G and the health sector

Like Industry, the health sector is one of the sectors that will benefit most from 6G technology. The approach to healthcare may undergo significant changes, moving from reactive actions to prophylactic treatments.

Hospitals and other healthcare entities may be able to predict necessary treatments, given the greater and faster flow of data that 6G technology will be able to transfer to healthcare units’ databases. As such, patients can be monitored more regularly in order to collect more reliable data.

Furthermore, with 6G it will be possible to overcome barriers of time and space, which are still decisive in more specific treatments today. To this end, it may be possible for healthcare professionals to collaborate remotely, but in real time, and be able to provide telemedicine services more efficiently.

 

The transversal application of 6G technology

In addition to the industry and health sectors, which could greatly benefit from the development of 6G networks, this technology could have much more specific applications that will affect the day-to-day lives of citizens and companies.

The 6th generation of mobile network can be applied in:

• Transport – with the development of 6G, this could help to manage traffic in cities in real time, pointing to real alternatives in a timely manner.
• Urban planning – 6G technology could allow better communication and use of sensors, to contribute to technological applications in smart cities and environmental monitoring. It could also contribute to communication between urban and rural areas.
• Energy – The sixth generation of mobile networks could also allow the development of more energy-efficient applications for transport, buildings, among others.
• Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality – by having less latency and allowing faster data flow, the 6G network will be able to create more reliable connections. Possibly, this improvement will also allow more immersive and multi-sensory environments to be created.
• Robotics – The development of autonomous systems and advanced robotics could be leveraged by the 6G network.
• Personalized user experience – Despite already being a practice, 6G will be able to go into detail to build applications in which the user experience is optimized down to the smallest details.