How India leapfrogging the competition in 6G race

6G is at concept stage and the world telecom has already started working on it. It promises unified human-machine and machine-machine connectivity. It will be built on 5G and provide more reliable, ultra-low latency with speeds almost 100 times faster than 5G. It will include intelligent network management and control, integrated wireless sensing and communication and eco-friendly initiatives. The PM said from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 2023, that India is the fastest country to roll out 5G, we are getting ready for 6G and a task force is set up for the same.

6G implementation in India

DOT on November 1, 2021, constituted Technology Innovations Group on 6G (TIG-6G) to develop vision, mission and goals for 6G. To explore the impact of 6G in India and to investigate how India can realise its mission of becoming global leader in 6G, TIG-6G has set up 6 task forces to explore the major pillars of the 6G vision. These task forces are on:

1. Multi- disciplinary innovative solutions

2. Multi platform next generation networks

3. Spectrum for next generation requirements

4. Devices

5. International standards contribution

6. Funding research and development

The task forces have recommended opening up more spectrum and industrial and academic research and development. Our primary focus will be on multi-platform next generation networks like dense optical networks, AI/ML on the air interface and for network optimisation, tactile internet, intelligent network operation, intelligent reflective surfaces, efficient low earth orbit satellites, high-altitude platform systems (HAPS) etc.

Bharat 6G Vision document

Based on the reports of the above task forces, Bharat 6G vision document has been prepared by the TIG-6G. On March 22, 2023, PM released the Bharat 6G vision document. The 6G vision statement is “design, develop and deploy 6G network technologies that provide ubiquitous, intelligent and secure connectivity for high quality living experience for the world”. Bharat 6G vision is fully aligned with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and it seeks to empower every Indian to become Atmanirbhar in their lives. It also ensures that India leads in the supply of advanced telecom technologies that are affordable and contribute to global good.

6G Testbed

PM while releasing the 6G vision document had also inaugurated the 6G testbed. This testbed will provide academic institutions, industries, startups etc, a platform to test and validate the evolving 6G technology.

India will implement 6G in a highly customised manner. The implementation of 6G in India will significantly reduce differences in regional and social infrastructure and availability of economic opportunities and provide alternatives to migration from rural to urban areas, mass urbanisation and related problems.

While the basic objective for India will be a customised 6G implementation plan, support from the global community can speed up commercialisation drive and lead to further newer technologies.

The TIG-6G has recommended extensive research in mm wave and Terahertz (10^12 Hz) communications, tactile internet and remote operations, multi sensor man machine interfaces and devices leveraging edge cloud computing resources. Space-terrestrial integration, combined communication and sensing in sub Terahertz bands (90-300 GHz) are also envisaged.

Bharat 6G mission

The research and startup ecosystem will be tapped to bring out innovations and new ideas. Adequate provisions for financial support will be made available. The mission will be completed in two phases.

Bharat 6G Alliance-B6GA

The Bharat 6G Alliance shall be an alliance of domestic industry, academia, national research institutions and standards organisations facilitated by the government. The B6GA is expected to chart its own course of action based on the Bharat 6G vision document and further developments.

Apex council- Bharat 6G mission

An apex council is constituted to lay down the phase wise objectives of the Bharat 6G Mission, consult the Bharat 6G Alliance, suggest the research and innovation pathways to be explored, review the progress from time to time, order external evaluations and suggest course corrections.

6G promise

6G promises a world of unimaginable speeds, connective intelligence and a highly mature IOT model that will enable and empower automated cars and smart home networks. The global vision is to further transform connectivity to make big data analytics and holographic displays a norm when 6G technology is fully implemented in the 2030s.

6G will offer ultra-low latency with speeds up to 1 Terabytes per second (Tbps) that will increase the machine-machine and human to machine interactions to unprecedented heights and transform the development and use of virtual and augmented reality, mobile edge computing, AI etc.

6G use cases will include remote- controlled factories, constantly communicating self-driven cars and smart wearables taking inputs directly from human senses. While 6G promises growth, it will simultaneously have to be balanced with sustainability since most 6G supporting communication devices will be battery powered and can have a significant carbon footprint. India's 6G mission aims to provide high speed and ultra low latency solutions at affordable prices to urban and rural areas alike, irrespective of external factors such as terrain, weather and environmental conditions.

6G Telecom Network in India

India wants to empower its people with the most advanced, relevant and affordable next- generation 6G telecom technologies. By harnessing 6G innovations as per our requirements, we can specially address the country's needs and improve productivity of the people, particularly of those in rural areas. These technologies will provide immense opportunities for India's entrepreneurs to deliver new products for domestic and global markets. The vision document identifies key research pathways relevant to India:

1. These pathways ride on multiple platforms involving new hardware, software, unutilised spectrum at very high frequencies, AI and ML engines, quantum photonics and computing technologies, space based assets, and devices with new user interfaces, sensors and displays that deliver Tactile internet.

2. Terahertz communication with ultra high speeds will be essential for indoor and outdoor wireless applications.

3. Wireless communications using Intelligent Reflective Surfaces, to combat propagation hurdles, is an important focus area.

4. A flexible seamless integrated optical and wireless network reaching each home, even in remote villages, is what we should aim for by the end of this decade.

5. The demands from wireless communications in terms of speed, latency and energy efficiency will require us to leverage the capabilities of semiconductor technology.

6. We should also explore new avenues in cell free communications and extreme MIMO to utilise the spectrum in lower bands efficiently.

7. With the integration of space and terrestrial networks, space technology can be used to plug the gaps in coverage in rural areas and ensure that all have broadband connectivity.

6G Standards

We need to ensure that global standards adequately incorporate our innovations and address our specific needs. In this regard telecommunication standards bodies of our country such as TSDSI (Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India) working along with TEC (Telecom Engineering Centre) and other telecommunications forums have a major role to play.

India has made important contributions to global telecom standards to ensure that rural populations are served with 5G service. The Low Mobility Large Cell (LMLC) rural use case proposed by India is now a mandatory requirement to be met by mobile communication technologies adopted as ITU standards. While contributing to the development of global 5G standards in 3 GPP, ITU etc., India has gained experience and using this experience, India can contribute to the development of 6G standards in various international bodies and ensure that a good number of key innovations are from India.

Secure and trustworthy India based 6G infrastructure will help to ensure the sovereignty of India in terms of critical technologies and systems and will make sure that our primary values such as privacy, trust, transparency, accountability, security and societal interests are considered.

Way forward

The ITU has approved the 6G vision framework at its meeting held from June 12-22, 2023. 6G is IMT-2030 technology. ITU intends to develop interfaces that will allow the interworking of terrestrial 6G networks with non-terrestrial technologies such as satellites. Similar interfaces will be developed for other access technologies including Wi-Fi.

In 5G there are three key usage scenarios:

1. enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB)

2. massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC)

3. ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (uRLCC)

The newly approved 6G standards include six key usage scenarios:

1. Immersive communications

2. Integrated sensing and communication

3. Massive communication

4. Ubiquitous connectivity

5. Hyper reliable and low-latency communication

6. Integrated AI and communication.

India played a critical role in getting the ‘ubiquitous connectivity’ accepted as a key usage scenario. CDOT is working on 6G technology in order to catch up with the global scenario in time. India already has over two hundred patents that will help in 6G development.

(The author is a former Advisor, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India)