6G: The Intelligent Network of Everything
Harri Pennanen, Tuomo Hänninen, Oskari Tervo, Antti Tölli, Matti Latva-aho
TL;DR
This paper articulates a comprehensive, technically grounded vision of 6G as the Intelligent Network of Everything, integrating wireless, AI, and the Internet of Everything to enable mobile intelligence. It surveys the evolution from 1G through 6G, clarifies the ITU and 3GPP standardization processes, and catalogs 27 potential technologies across spectrum, antennas, transmission, networks, and beyond-communication domains. The authors present a detailed 6G vision, introduce 12 defining features, and outline disruptive applications, key use cases, and stringent performance requirements, while providing a tutorial-style treatment of AI/ML methods (DL, FL, TL) and their role in core/edge/air-interface intelligence. The work also sketches a concrete 7G vision to contextualize 6G’s long-term trajectory and discusses security, energy efficiency, and practical deployment challenges, aiming to inspire research and standardization in academia, industry, and policy bodies.
Abstract
The global 6G vision has taken its shape after years of international research and development efforts. This work culminated in ITU-R Recommendation on "IMT-2030 Framework". While the definition phase of technological requirements is currently ongoing, 3GPP standardization process on 6G networks is expected to start in 2025 and worldwide commercialization around 2029-2030. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to 6G by providing an overall vision, a contemporary survey of the main literature, and an informative tutorial-type presentation style. In our vision, 6G will be based on three fundamental elements: wireless, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Everything. Consequently, 6G can ultimately become the Intelligent Network of Everything while serving as an enabling platform for the next major disruption in mobile communication, called mobile intelligence. The potential of mobile intelligence is that anything can be made connected, intelligent, and aware of its environment. This will revolutionize the way how devices, systems, and applications are designed; how they operate and interact with humans and each other; and how they can be used for the benefit of people, society, and the world in general. After high-level visioning, the main details of 6G are discussed, including fundamental elements, disruptive applications, key use cases, main performance requirements, potential technologies, and defining features. A special focus is given to a comprehensive set of potential 6G technologies, each of which is introduced in a tutorial manner. Finally, we speculate on what comes after 6G and sketch the first high-level vision of 7G. All in all, the objective of this article is to provide a thorough guide to 6G in order to serve as a source of knowledge and inspiration for further research and development work in academia, industry, and standardization bodies.