Experts say 6G will spell hyper-connectivity between humans and things

Seung Hyun-june, president at Samsung Research, speaks during the Samsung 6G Forum held online on Friday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

6G will enable hyper-connectivity between humans and things, tech experts said at an online 6G forum organized by Samsung Electronics Friday.

“Our 6G vision is to provide the next hyper-connected experience for all,” said Samsung Research President Seung Hyun-june during opening remarks at the Samsung 6G Forum.

Under the theme of “the next hyper-connected experience for all,” the Samsung 6G Forum was live-streamed in real-time through the company’s YouTube channel.

6G networking is the sixth generation of wireless communications technology under development by many companies, which would ensure faster speed and lower latency than its predecessor 5G.

Hyper-connectivity refers to the extremely high-speed network connection between humans and things. To achieve hyper-connectivity, ultra-wideband, ultra-low latency and highly advanced artificial intelligence technology would be needed.

Seung explained that “6G will be a fundamental technology that drives convergence of services between industries.”

However, it may take at least 10 years for the technology to be actually marketed.

“The commercialization of the 5G networks is far from over, but we all know that preparing for the next generation of communications technology takes a decade,” said Seung. “That’s why R&D (research and development) for 6G networks has already begun."

Among two keynote speakers, Jeffrey Andrews, an engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, discussed the importance of deep learning technology in 6G network development. The second keynote speaker Tarik Taleb, an engineering professor at the University of Oulu, Finland, focused on 6G network architecture and the challenges that 6G, as well as 5G networking, is currently facing.

Other experts including Samsung Research America Senior Vice President Charlie Zhang, NTT Docomo Senior Vice President Takehiro Nakamura, Qualcomm Technologies Senior Vice President John Smee and Seoul National University professor Shim Byong-hyo gave in-depth speeches on 6G-related topics, which were followed by panel discussions.

Prior to the 6G Forum, Samsung Electronics released a report on its 6G technology development titled “6G Spectrum: Expanding the Frontier” on May 8. The paper discussed Samsung Electronics’ 6G goals in more detail with a focus on the company’s plan for securing global frequency bands for 6G, based on the previous white paper issued in July 2020.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]