Cellular positioning technology, a key industrial case of the Internet of Things, will become one of the key elements of the future 6G network.

While 5G is still in the early stages of deployment in many markets, and most commercially available networks are non-standalone, the industry is already experimenting with the possibilities of next-generation 6G cellular networks, and the Internet of Things will gradually enable these innovations.

For most people, 5G is the last interaction with the mobile phone network that emerged in the last quarter of the 20th century. The speed of connected devices has improved, and some power users can now play low-latency online games and ultra-high-definition videos on smartphones and tablets.

For cellular service providers (CSPs) and other industry stakeholders, 5G is the logical evolution of cellular connectivity, where data will eventually replace voice as the primary driver of wireless communications. 5G New Radio (5G NR) finally delivers the reliability and high-performance wireless connectivity required for the last industrial revolution.

CSPs are now starting to roll out the first standalone 5G networks, ultimately enabling key IoT services such as ultra-low latency and network slicing. In 2025, 5G Advanced (3GPP Rel.18), also known as 5G+, will arrive, providing the full range of 5G for high-performance applications such as autonomous driving, advanced robotics, remote operation and maintenance, large-scale critical IoT, and the industrial metaverse. promise.

Leveraging real-time data from all sources, businesses will use digital twins to create innovative industrial IoT solutions, as well as artificial intelligence and analytics to leverage actionable insights, using information from immersive simulations to create future products and services .

Then, after 5G finally reaches its full potential, the early stages of 6G will emerge, bringing new capabilities to advanced industrial applications of this century.

What is 6G?

According to a report published by GSMA Intelligence, “While some applications are clear, others are not. Which 6G services are ultimately realized will depend on physical capabilities. If we assume that the throughput of 5G will increase by a further 10 times, and the delay will increase in the opposite direction. , then extended reality and the metaverse will steadily play a role, as will holography, robotics and distributed sensing capabilities.”

In addition to high speed and near-zero latency, 6G will provide the sensing and positioning capabilities needed to fully automate the industrial metaverse and many applications that are currently impossible. Precise positioning is critical to many applications in industrial environments, such as robot navigation, asset tracking, and worker safety.

Peter Vetter, president of core research at Nokia Bell Labs, said in prepared remarks: "6G sensing will give us unprecedented awareness of our surroundings. The flow of robots, vehicles and people can be optimized in a new way. This digital sixth sense will warn us of dangers, such as a speeding vehicle approaching a corner. As 6G sensing becomes more accurate, we will be able to use gestures to interact with the world in a natural way, rather than using a touchscreen or controller interface."

Thierry Klein, president of Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research, told EE Times: "We started working on 6G a few years ago. We see 6G not only as a communication network, but also as a value proposition. These indicators are not only It’s latency and reliability, and there are other aspects. How do we use communication networks for other purposes, sensing is a key purpose? If we believe in industrial enterprise applications, we think sensing is interesting.”

It goes on to add: “Enterprises are more driven by results: How can the deployed network and technology help improve productivity, efficiency, security and sustainability? How can it create results for the business? With 5G, 5G Advanced, 6G and What does a private wireless network do?'”

Klein, who is in charge of Nokia's industrial solutions research, believes that 6G will bring the real benefits of 5G to the industrial sector. 6G will typically connect billions of assets, including consumer electronics and appliances, factory machines and self-driving cars. The combination of massive IoT, high throughput, edge processing and artificial intelligence will bring the benefits of Industry 4.0 to everyone.

“Everything needs to be connected — people, machines, sensors, space and the environment,” Klein said. “But once everything is connected, the question is what to do with it. You need to understand what is connected, how things behave and where things are. Perception , positioning and understanding the operating environment is critical. That's why we're very excited about sensing technology.

“Our team is looking at this to answer these questions. We call it Industry 4.0, Industrial Automation, Industrial Metaverse. But it’s really about how we can use network edge computing, artificial intelligence and a lot of ICT technologies to help enable industrial results."

6G must be more power efficient

As operators and system integrators deploy new 5G networks in public and private spaces, the balance of performance and sustainability is gaining more attention. Data traffic on cellular networks continues to grow, while power consumption is also increasing. According to the GSMA, by 2030, the information and communication technology industry is expected to switch to renewable energy sources, accounting for more than 60% of total electricity consumption. Still, the uneven distribution means 6G will have to be a more efficient network to ease the power demands of more intense use cases.

Sanjay Uppal, senior vice president and general manager of VMware's service provider and edge business unit, told EE Times in an interview last year: "We think energy shortages are here to stay. Today it might be in Europe, but it's going to be one that we have to global problems to be solved. Therefore, it will become increasingly important to consider energy consumption as one of the factors in choosing information technology.”