Visions for 6G Futures: a Causal Layered Analysis

Abstract

This study extends and deepens the joint 6G vision building stemming from use cases, enabling technologies, key performance indicators (KPIs), key value indicators (KVIs), and business scenario litanies towards the social, the worldview, and the metaphors layers utilizing causal layered analysis (CLA) method. 6G visions are explored from different national perspectives assessing future initiatives from China, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the US. The multiple ideologies and epistemes of the stakeholders are mapped to create a transformed future vision emphasizing the importance of 6G design from the triple bottom line of sustainability, including social, economic, and environmental perspectives. Collaborative research, harmonized standardization, and anticipatory regulation efforts were found essential in developing trustworthy and general-purpose 6G technologies for users and developers.

Toward Immersive Communications in 6G

“…Since the realization of immersive communications can require integrated support for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable lowlatency communications (URLLC) [38], which is beyond the capability of 5G, researchers look forward to breakthroughs in immersive communications in the era of 6G. Targeting 2030 for large scale 6G deployments, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) plans to start 6G studies in 2024 and complete its first 6G standard in 2028 [39], while the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s "IMT for 2030 and beyond" timeline aims at completing IMT-2030 specifications in 2029 to 2030 [40].…”

Developing 6G Visions with Stakeholder Analysis of 6G Ecosystem

“…The extant business research on the 6G has utilized scenario planning method [1], [15] and focused on multi-sided ecosystemic platform-based approach expanding traditional components and interfaces framework to cover data and artificial intelligence algorithms [17]. The recent developments in geopolitical tensions and global competition in mobile communications technologies may lead to technological divergence, compartmentalized innovation ecosystems, and techno-nationalism, which may negatively affect the scalability, replicability, and the internationalization of emerging 6G services [18], [19]. The 6G ecosystem research has aimed at identifying and exploring the antecedents of future 6G ecosystems by looking at contingencies, structures, process, goals, and outcomes [20] and identifying the roles of incumbent stakeholders [21].…”