Foreword

6G is on the way as it is witnessed by over thirty new EU-funded 6G projects, numerous national projects, and programmes all over the world started recently. This June, ITU-R WP 5D will also finalise the preparatory work on 6G technology directions. Finally, towards the end of this year, WRC-23 will launch discussions on 6G spectrum matters to be decided in the following WRC meeting. So, a whole lot has happened at increasing speed since the launch of the 6G Flagship.

Lots of new ideas for improving the capabilities of 6G compared to 5G have been proposed. Verticals-driven variety of highly different use cases calls for a certain level of flexibility and customisation of RAN solutions for efficient deployments. O-RAN is one viable way to make such networks real. At the same time, 6G Metaverse-type applications are pushing researchers to explore the limits of realisable communication systems, including THz radios, metamaterials, and semantic communications, as a few examples. At this point, it is fair to ask which of these new ideas will be mature enough for the commercialisation of 6G towards the end of this decade. What should be the key driver for 6G if we should name only one?

Digital services will be immersively deployed during the 6G era. They are in a vital role in improving the efficiency of industrial processes as well as many functions of society. Not only the society that we are living in in Europe but all around the world with highly varying societal and cultural backgrounds. Democratising digital services should be the key driver for the future. It sets enormous challenges for arranging sufficient and trustworthy coverage and services no matter where the users are. Therefore, should we focus on coverage rather than Tbps connectivity, that is the question.

The next few months will be very interesting times on the road towards 6G. Let’s be optimistic and open-minded so that our community will set the direction of 6G benefiting the whole world and different needs for the future. Stay tuned, and see you also at EuCNC&6GSummit in Gothenburg in June!

Matti Latva-aho

Director of 6G Flagship

University of Oulu, Finland