Ambient IoT towards 6G: Standardization, Potentials, and Challenges
Kan Zheng, Rongtao Xu, Jie Mei, Haojun Yang, Lei Lei, Xianbin Wang
TL;DR
The paper addresses the need for energy-efficient IoT connectivity in 6G by examining Ambient IoT (A-IoT) via ambient backscatter. It provides a comprehensive survey of 3GPP standardization efforts (notably TR_38_848), analyzes enabling technologies (backscatter modulation, interference management, and multiple access), and demonstrates a prototype system with indoor field tests showing feasible data rates around $1~\mathrm{Mbps}$ at short ranges. It further outlines open issues across multi-antenna transmission, multi-node coordination, coexistence, localization, spectrum, radio resource management, and security, offering a roadmap for future research. Overall, the work highlights both the viability and the substantial challenges of integrating A-IoT into a scalable 6G ecosystem.
Abstract
The Ambient Internet of Things (A-IoT) has emerged as a critical direction for achieving effective connectivity as the IoT system evolves to 6G. However, the introduction of A-IoT technologies, particularly involving backscatter modulation, poses numerous challenges for system design and network operations. This paper surveys current standardization efforts, highlights potential challenges, and explores future directions for A-IoT. It begins with a comprehensive overview of ongoing standardization initiatives by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) on A-IoT, providing a solid foundation for further technical research in both industry and academia. Building upon this groundwork, the paper conducts an analysis of critical enabling technologies for A-IoT. Moreover, a comprehensive A-IoT demonstration system is designed to showcase the practical viability and efficiency of A-IoT techniques, supported by field experiments. We finally address ongoing challenges associated with A-IoT technologies, providing valuable insights for future research endeavors.