Technologies Used In 6G

Each generation of wireless technology uses various new technological concepts according to its trends. Similarly, 6G should be different from the previous generation in terms of the technology used. These technologies will make 6G the next generation of wireless communication technology. The 6G system will follow the trends of 5G by adding new technologies and incorporating new services. The new services or technologies to be included in 6G are (Ni et al., 2019):

1. Optical wireless communication

Optical wireless communication (OWC) is a form of optical communication that uses visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light (radiation) to transfer signals. Optical wireless communication uses visible light to transmit data. Thus, 6G should provide higher data transfer rates. In addition to providing low-latency, long-distance communication and security, optical wireless communication will also solve the problem of data transmission speed that existed in previous generations (Daukantas, 2014; Tomkos, Effenberger, & Kevin Rea, 2016). The advantages of OWC technology compared to radio communications are: 1) wide range; 2) high data transfer rate; 3) low latency; 4) high security; 5) affordable price; 6) low energy consumption. The distance between objects targeted for communication can vary from a few nanometers to several thousand kilometers. In this case, effective inter-facility communication will be achieved by deploying various OWC systems (Ranaweera et al., 2022).

2. Communication frequency measured in terahertz (THs)

We live in an era of significant expansion of wireless data traffic. Although the recently launched fifth generation (5G) networks offer significant improvements over 4G LTE, they are inherently limited in supporting data and connectivity requirements in the 2030s. Because these needs go far beyond the initial conditions of 5G networks. This motivates both industry and academia to move beyond 5G and conceptualize 6G networks (Saad et al., 2019).

In 6G wireless communication technology, a larger frequency range must be used to transmit signals. Sixth generation communications will use terahertz frequencies while previous generation wireless communications used gigahertz frequencies. Due to this, 6G will increase coverage several hundred times. For example, communications will be possible underwater, at altitude, and even in space. At this time, transmitters and other network devices will have lower energy consumption (Haq et al., 2019). Terahertz ranges from 100 GHs to 10 THs. The frequency of electromagnetic waves used in communication is also continuing at an increasing pace, from 1G (0.9 Ghs) to 4G (1.8 Ghs). The higher the frequency, the more the allowed transmission capacity of the channel increases, and the volume (amount) of data transmitted per unit time also increases. This is often understood and emphasized as “increasing the speed of the network” (Akyildiz, Han, & Ni, 2018).

3. Wireless energy transmission

Future wireless communication technologies pave the way for the concept of the Internet of Things, that is, information sharing between a large number of devices with different functions (household, industrial, etc.) via wireless media. Many of these devices are portable with or without batteries. This requires charging them in a simple and efficient way. One of these technologies is wireless energy transmission (Lu et al., 2014). Thus, it will be possible to run or charge wireless devices without the need for wired infrastructure. Generally, wireless power transmission is carried out in three ways: inductive coupling, magnetic resonance coupling, and electromagnetic radiation (Zeng, Clercq, & Zhang, 2017). In wireless technology, there must be several base stations to establish communication between objects and transfer data. To transfer data packets from one base station (transmitter) to another (receiver), it is necessary to realize energy transfer between these stations. This new concept – wireless transmission of data and energy – should be applied to transmit data packets in 6G.

Using 6G towers, the transmission of energy should be carried out via radio waves of a certain frequency between the transmitting and receiving antennas. If these waves are maximally protected from external electromagnetic influences, they can pass through various complex obstacles.

In addition, it will be possible to transmit electricity over long distances, as is the case with classic power lines. New systems will make it possible to provide energy while driving an electric car and charging a mobile phone. At this point, there will be no need for any additional blocks or cables, it will only be important to organize their communication with the tower (Costanzo, Masotti, & Energizing, 2017).

4. Artificial Intelligence

The combination of 6G communication and artificial intelligence can reshape aspects of our technological thinking and revolutionize our modern lifestyle. The concept of artificial intelligence can be understood as the reproduction of human intelligence in computers. In other words, artificial intelligence is a mathematical science and technology that aims to apply human reasoning to devices. Devices with artificial intelligence will be able to think, analyze the problem, and find solutions.

6G will be the first generation to introduce the concept of artificial intelligence among wireless communication technologies. When communicating between objects, many complex situations arise that can be solved by these objects themselves using the concept of artificial intelligence. The rapid progress of artificial intelligence will promote the emergence of smart networks for real-time communication in 6G technology (Shaffin et al., 2020).

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