June, 2021

Evolved and Paradigm-shift Enablers towards 6G

Hans Neff

Data Rate, Traffic Density

Reliability, Latency, Synch

Sensing Accuracy

Uplink, Energy, Cellular mmWave

Perspective on 6G Drivers, KPIs & Use Case Requirements

Digital Economy

Energy and Cost Efficiency

Developing Industry Use Cases

Wireless Sensing

Network AI

Digital plus AI Economy

Green and Sustainable Society

Developed Industry Use Cases

Internet of Sense

Internet of AI

1

1

2

3

4

5

2

3

4

5

Evolved 5G

Intelligent Connection Capability

Energy, EMF & Battery Efficiency

Sensing Precision, Resolution

Semantic Interaction Capability

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

DriversKPIs

Drivers

KPIs

Peak Date Rate1 Tbps, 50X

User Data Rate20 Gbps, 200X

Traffic Capacity10 Gbps/m2, 103X

Traffic Volume 100 Gbps/m3, NA

Moving Speed8 km/s, 57X

Air Interface Latency

< 0.5 ms, > 8X

Connection Density100 Devices/m2, 100X

Battery Life20 yr, 2X

TN Coverage MCL3 dB, 2X

Deterministic Sync0.2 s, 5X

Location PrecisionOut/Indoor < 10/1 cm, 100X

Energy Efficiency

> 10X

…X: 6G vs 5G Times

6GAny Traffics

Connected Intelligently

Reliability> 7-nines, > 100X

Sensing Resolution

300m, NA

More than Evolved 5G

Holographic InteractionPersonalized SensesWearable Robotics

…

Vision on 6G Network Architecture

PHY-C PKT-C PKT-C HUB-C

Data Pre-processing Data Analysis

Data DiscoveryData Exposure

Case Analysis Decision making

Knowledge RecognitionIntent Engine

Network Resource Management Network Function Management

Performance ManagementOrchestration

To B Operation To C Operation

Digital Twin MRIntent Access

Resource Plane

Enforcement Plane

Control Plane

Data Plane

Intelligence Plane

Management plane

Operation Plane

System

Resource

Function

PHY-E PKT-E PKT-E

感

Kno

wled

ge Native

智

AI n

ative

信

Trust N

ative

CommunicationComputing

Storage

6G Enablers – Evolved & Paradigm-Shift in Parallel

Flexible Spectrum 1

Holographic MIMO 2

THz Communication & Sensing 3

Computing Network 4

AI-Native Air Interface

Space-Air-Ground-Sea Convergence

Joint Communication & Sensing

Cognitive SBA Network

Paradigm-Shift EnablersEvolved Enablers

6G Enablers

Architecture

1

2

3

4

Paradigm-Shift Challenges towards 6G Wireless Architecture

Evolution Coverage

• Programmable Air Interface

• Programmable Propagation

• Link and Propagation Separation

• Deterministic Channel

• Wired-like Wireless

• Spectrum & DoF as a Service

• UE / Site and Cell Separation

• DL Cell and UL Cell Separation

• Virtual Cell follows UE

• No Cell Edge

• Independent Function Evolution

• Feature Plug and Play

• AI Model & Computing as a Service

• Topology follows Service

• Over-the-air Deployment

Radio

Intelligent

6G

Flexible Spectrum Challenges

Full DuplexDynamic TDDSpectrum SharingFlexible Duplex

Cognitive Spectrum Block Chain Sharing NSA Coexistence Flexible Licensing

< 1 GHz 3 GHz 4 GHz 5 GHz 6 GHz 10 GHz 24-37 GHz 37-52.6 GHz 57-71 GHz 71-76 GHz 81-86 GHz 100 GHz 200 GHz 300 GHz 450 GHz > 450 GHz

FCC: 95-275, Un 21.2 GHz

OFCOM 100-200 GHz116-123,174.8-182,185-190,244-246

ITU THz Study: 160 & 53 GHz

252-275, 275-296, 306-313, 318-333, 356-450296-306, 313-318, 318-356 st. EESS Protection

WRC19: 13.75 GHz

24.25-27.5, 37-43.5, 66-71Some: 45.5-47, 47.2-48.2 GHz

WRC19: 10 GHz

Fixed and SatelliteSharing

WRC15: 6.81 GHz

1.427-1.518, 3.3-3.7, 4.8-4.99R1/3: 470-698, R1: 694-790 MHz

WRC23: 0.5-1.2 GHz

R1 6.425-7.025, 7.025-7.125R2 10.0-10.5 GHz

Inter-RAT / StakeholderSingle / Multiple Tiers Dual / Multiple Connectivity Local / Global & T / R

Holographic MIMO Architecture & Challenges

Knowledge Base: Goal, User, Data, Network, Deployment Behaviors

• mmW/THz Coverage

• Sub6GHz Deep Coverage

• Channel Estimation

• Joint MIMO

• Invisible Deployment

Reconfigurable Programmable

• Cognitive Channel Modeling

• Reflecting & Transmitting

• Diffuse Scattering

• Intelligent DoF

• Information Metamaterial

Metasurface MIMO1

UE2UE1

Target1 Target2

Metasurface MIMO2

M/D-MIMO2

Metasurface MIMO3Computing Network

Computing Devices

Holographic MIMO

M/D-MIMO1

Global Computing

Global Learning

Global KB

M/D-MIMO3

Harmonized Physicals towards AI-native Air Interface

NTN SiteTN Site

UE UE

UAV, HAPS, LEO, MEO, GEO

Unlicensed, MBMS

TN Site

UESidelink

Constellation Aggregation Multiplexing

Forward Compatibility

NTN SiteISL

IABNTN

AUV, Ocean, Desert, Arctic

Satellite

IAB, UAV

mmW Ultra eMBB

eMBB, mmW FWA

Surveillance, Positioning

HEO, Moon, Mars, Space

THz eFWA, eSensing Auto-Driving

Gene Medical

Auto-Logistic

Wearable Robotics

UESidelink

Meta-Cell / Cell-free / New DoF Structure

Physical

Scenario

…

Essential

Orchestration

Backward Coexistence

Sub6G to Above100G

… …

To be harmonized over Intelligence, Control & Data Planes

Semantic Communication: Scenarios & Architecture

LocalKnowledge

Semantic Generation

LocalKnowledge

Semantic Reconstruction

Channel Encoder

MIMOPrecoder

Semantic Channel

Semantic Noise

Global Knowledge

Semantics Machine/

Human

Inference& Training

Inference& Training

Environment, Baseband / RF Sensing

ModulationWaveform

RFChannel

MIMOEqualization

DemodulationWaveform

Channel Decoder

Baseband Sensing

AI-AIAI-MIMOAI-Modem AI-DecoderAI-Networking AI-DPDAI-Coder

Single Domain AI AI CollaborationCross Domain AI Federated AI Network AI

AI for Communication & Sensing

Communication, Sensing and Networking for AI

Semantic Encoder

Semantic Decoder

AI for Networking

E2E AIResponsible AI …Human-in-the-loop

Baseband Sensing

Networking – MAC, HARQ, RRMAccess, Mobility, ID/Security Magnt

Semantic Error

Networking – MAC, HARQ, RRMAccess, Mobility, ID/Security Magnt

AI-Networking

Semantic Accuracy

Scenarios: Human-involved Consumer and or Industry Robotics in Smart City & Utilities, Smart Factory, Smart Hospital, Smart Home

Machine/

Human

Joint Communication & Sensing (JCS): Scenarios & Challenges

Anchor

CommunicationSensing

Target UE

MI

Active, Passive Sensing Uu

UU

Domain AI

Independent JCS

JCS

Target UE

Anchor

N2/3

JCS-UU

Cross-Domain AI

Converged JCS

Anchor

SensingA

TargetAUE

N2/3

Communication

Cooperative AI

Collaborated JCS

AnchorA

JCS

Target/UE

AnchorB

JCS

Target/UE

N2/3 N2/3

N26

JCS-UU

Federated AI

JCS Service Continuity

Scenario: Auto-Driving: Location, Path, Safety; Smart City & eHealth: Consumer Robots for Sports; Industry IoT: Non-destructive Quality Inspection

Challenges: Performance Bound, Architecture, Waveform, Antenna Array, Clutter/Interference Suppression, Sensing Estimation/Ambiguity, Pattern Analysis, Networked Sensing, Sensing-assisted Communications, Communication-assisted Sensing, AI

UUActive, Passive

Sensing Uu

SensingB

TargetB

MI

N2/3

Cognitive SBA Network: Architecture & Challenges

Physical Resource Orchestration - Metacell Chain

PHY Domain Packet Domain E2E Domain

AI-native Service based Architecture: SBA RAN+CN

SSB Metacell

PUCCH Metacell

PRACH Metacell

PUSCH Metacell

+ +

PDCCH Metacell

PDSCH Metacell

+ +

Default Metacell Chain

Dedicated Metacell Chain

Flexible Orchestration of Physical ResourcesCustomization, Elasticity of Coverage and Capacity

SSB Metacell

PUCCH Metacell

PRACH Metacell

PUSCH Metacell

+ +

PDCCH Metacell

PDSCH Metacell

+ +

PHY-C PKT-C HUB-CControl Plane

Network AIAI-AI E2E AI

PHY-I PKT-I HUB-IIntelligence Plane

RF DataPHY-E PKT-EEnforcement Plane

Timeline from Evolved to Paradigm-shift Transition

Function Intelligence Wisdom

Information Semantic Goal

Random Programmable Cognitive

2020+ 2025+ 2030+ 2035+

Connected Any Things

Intelligent Traffic

Intelligent Traffic+

Collaboration

Com & Sensing

Reconfigurable

Connected Any Things+

Interface

Tentative Timeline for Evolved & Paradigm-shift Enablers

Rel-19Rel-18

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030

WRC23 B5G/6G Requirements WRC27 6G Spectrum

Proposal

China System, Spectrum & Trial 6G Vision, Enabler & Verification

ITU-R Specs

Rel-17 Rel-20 Rel-213GPP

Point Cloud, 6DoF, Light FieldMPEG

6G Vision & Techs

Feasibility Study 6G Phase 1 6G Phase 2Sub52.6GHz Sub71GHz Sub115G Sub200G Sub300G

Transparent NTN Holographic MIMO Non-Transparent NTN JCS Converged AI-AI, SBA-RAN, Metacell

Evolved 5G 6G Study & Specs

6G KPI, Evaluation Requirements

ZTE’s Innovation Instances towards 6G Enablers

AI-LDPC/DPD/MIMO-CSI

Reliability

Power/Spectrum Efficiency

THz Channel Modeling

Digital Map-based Hybrid

Scalability

IES & SVC

Efficient & UE Centric

Coverage+, Capacity+

eMUSA

10X Connection Density

10X Spectrum Efficiency

SBA-RAN & Metacell

Intelligent Evolution

Operator Agile, Elastic PHY

H-MIMO

Sensing

JCS

SAG

HPP

NTN

SSB Metacell

PUSCH Metacell

PRACH Metacell

PUSCH Metacell

+

+

PDCCH Metacell

PDSCH Metacell

+

+

AI-AICognitive SBA NW Holographic MIMO Space-Air-Ground-Sea THz/Joint Com-Sensing

• 6G Drivers come from Digital + AI Economy, Sustainable Society, Internet of Sense, Industry & AI

• New capabilities: AI Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Sensing Resolution and Semantic Accuracy, etc

• Evolved and Paradigm-Shift Enablers in Parallel towards 6G

• Evolved Enablers: Flexible Spectrum, Holographic MIMO, THz Communication & Sensing, Computing Network

• Paradigm-shift Enablers: AI-Native Air Interface, Space-Air-Ground-Sea, JCS with converged air interface, and Cognitive SBA Network with Physical Resource Orchestration.

• ZTE’s innovation instances: SBA-RAN & Metacell, Holographic MIMO, eMUSA, AI-MIMO-CSI, THz Channel Modeling

• Wireless Signatures of 6G & beyond: Cognitive SBA Network, Multi-Mode Convergence, AI-AI, Programmable Propagation, Semantic Communication, which would contribute some root features for 3GPP Rel-20 and Rel-21.

• ZTE will contribute more innovations towards 6G enablers together with the global industry & academic ecosystem.

Wrap-up

Thank You 谢谢