6G to Build a Sustainable Future

Insights on designing a sustainable 6G system as a multi-functional platform that delivers services beyond communication and addresses sustainability

6G to Build a Sustainable Future provides a summary of the research conducted in the European 6G Flagship project Hexa-X-II towards the sixth generation (6G) mobile networks, with additional input from other smart networks and services joint undertaking (SNS-JU) projects, such as 6G-DISAC, 6G-MUSICAL, 6G-NTN, 6G-SHINE, Deterministic 6G, RIGOROUS, ROBUST-6G, TERRAMETA and TERA6G. The book explores the motivation, values, and needs of 6G, with a strong emphasis on environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

To address these needs, the 6G system will be designed as a platform, providing services including and beyond communication; the book provides an end-to-end (E2E) blueprint of this system. The book also outlines the potential paths from the project results towards standardization and further towards introduction to the markets.

Topics discussed in 6G to Build a Sustainable Future include:

Design principles, requirements, value, validation and blueprints for inclusive, trustworthy, and environmentally sustainable 6G platforms
6G transceiver and radio design, covering architecture and deployment, radio link modeling, transmission schemes, and signal processing hardware
6G intelligence through AI-native architecture, smart network management, and intent-based management
Architectural enablers including flexible networks, dependable networking, beyond communication services architecture, and radio protocols
E2E security concepts, covering security enablers
All this from Hexa-X-II as well as other SNS-JU projects

This work was partly funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe/JU SNS projects Hexa-X-II (Grant Agreement no. 101095759), 6G-DISAC (Grant Agreement no. 101139130), 6G-MUSICAL (Grant Agreement no. 101139176), 6G-NTN (Grant Agreement no. 101096479), 6G-SHINE (Grant Agreement no. 101095738), DETERMINISTIC6G (Grant Agreement no. 101096504), RIGOROUS (Grant Agreement no. 101095933), ROBUST-6G (Grant Agreement no. 101139068), TERA6G (Grant Agreement no. 101096949), and TERRAMETA (Grant Agreement no. 101097101).

Author Biography

Mikko A. Uusitalo, Nokia Bell Labs Finland Site Lead, Head of Research Department, Nokia, Finland. Mikko was leading the European 6G Flagship project Hexa-X-II.

Patrik Rugeland, Master Researcher, Ericsson Research, Sweden. Patrik was the Technical Manager for Hexa-X-II.

Mauro Boldi, Project Manager, TIM, Italy. Mauro was the leader of dissemination and standardization activities for Hexa-X-II.

Ahmad Nimr, Research Group Lead, TU-Dresden, Germany. He was leading the Radio Evolution and Innovation work package in Hexa-X-II.