Wireless technology is famous for going through distinct “generations,” which we have abbreviated as 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and now, 5G. Even as we deploy 5G technology, talk has already begun about a “6G” and what that may look like.
The question for an access network builder/operator today is, “What opportunities will 6G bring, and what does that mean for how I build my access network today?” But as we ask that, we have to realize how far ahead we are looking. If we follow the typical pattern, we are still years away from having any kind of technical definition of 6G, and about six to seven years away from the first deployments. Even now, the major industry groups focused on 6G are still broadly defining the technical capabilities they want 6G to have.
Here are a couple of examples of what they have come up with. The first is from a summary provided by Ericsson identifying possible 6G network requirements, followed by a list of 6G goals provided in a report by the Next G Alliance.
According to Ericsson, the core requirement for 6G is to minimize total cost of operation. Second-tier requirements include the following:
- High data rates (>100 Gbps)
- Low latency (sub-millisecond)
- Improved energy performance
- Sub-centimeter positioning capability
- Traffic capacity over coverage area (>100 Mbps/m2)
Lastly, additional requirements include security, availability, versatility, dependable compute power, deployment flexibility, sensing, and device diversity.
Next G Alliance identified the following vision and goals for 6G:
- Trust, security, and resilience
- An enhanced Digital World Experience
- Cost-efficient solutions
- Distributed cloud and communications systems
- An AI-native network
- Sustainability.
What can we pull out of these two sets of requirements and visions that is relevant for an access network operator now? Some implications that we can draw for the physical access network include:
Trust, security, and resilience: Fiber is highly secure and not as prone to interception as wireless signals are. It is more resilient and not affected by weather or obstacles as wireless signals are – especially the higher frequencies used by 5G and potentially by 6G. Thus, fiber has an advantage over other technologies, such as wireless fronthaul/backhaul, when it comes to connecting 6G access points to the wider world.
Distributed cloud and communications systems: In the last decade, we saw a huge trend to centralize computing in enormous “cloud” data centers. This was because there were economies of scale from such centralization. But with 5G and 6G, we will see a push toward minimal latency. This will further drive the rise of “edge” data centers that are closer to subscribers. Fiber will be essential to connect these, as they will have too much incoming and outgoing data for wireless signals to provide. But it is difficult to predict specifically where in the access network these edge data centers will be built.
Sustainability: Fiber requires very little transmission power due to its low loss and directional nature. Once installed, the power requirements are miniscule compared to wireless data. This, too, will argue for fiber connectivity among 6G access points.
Enhanced Digital World Experience/sensing: Where the Next G Alliance has identified “Digital World Experience” as the vision, Ericsson has identified “sensing” as a key part of that vision. This sensing network will involve everything from location data (people, vehicles, shipments, etc.) to temperature to vibration. Here, too, the implications extend beyond the wireless portion of the network. Every fiber network has the potential to be a sensing network, with the right equipment installed at one or both ends. For some applications, this is far more economical and practical than deploying arrays of dedicated sensors. It also uses far less energy. Thus, if sensing is a major goal of deploying 6G, fiber will have a huge role to play there as well.
In conclusion, 6G will present an opportunity for access network operators. To accomplish its goals, mobile network operators will need to use higher frequencies and deploy more wireless nodes. These nodes will, for the most part, need fiber connections. This evolution will provide a great business opportunity for access network operators, but only if they design the networks they build today with 6G in mind.
Josh Simer is AFL’s market strategy and innovation manager for service providers and multiple system operators (MSOs). He has been in the optical fiber and ICT industries for 13 years, prior to which he was a U.S. Army infantry officer. He has served in a variety of roles including product, solution, and program management and has worked with a full range of customers, from large to small, service providers, MSOs, utilities, co-ops, enterprises, and data center operators.