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Potential key technologies for 6G mobile communications

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Abstract

The standard development of 5G wireless communication culminated between 2017 and 2019, followed by the worldwide deployment of 5G networks, which is expected to result in very high data rate for enhanced mobile broadband, support ultrareliable and low-latency services and accommodate massive number of connections. Research attention is shifting to future generation of wireless communications, for instance, beyond 5G or 6G. Unlike previous studies, which discussed the use cases, deployment scenarios, or new network architectures of 6G in depth, this paper focuses on a few potential technologies for 6G wireless communications, all of which represent certain fundamental breakthrough at the physical layer — technical hardcore of any new generation of wireless communications. Some of them, such as holographic radio, terahertz communication, large intelligent surface, and orbital angular momentum, are of revolutionary nature and many related studies are still at their scientific exploration stage. Several technical areas, such as advanced channel coding/modulation, visible light communication, and advanced duplex, while having been studied, may find more opportunities in 6G.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Mobile, Beijing, 100053, China

    Yifei Yuan

  2. ZTE Corporation, Beijing, 100029, China

    Yajun Zhao

  3. ZTE Corporation, Shanghai, 201203, China

    Baiqing Zong

  4. ZTE Corporation, Milan, 20124, Italia

    Sergio Parolari

Authors
  1. Yifei Yuan
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  2. Yajun Zhao
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  3. Baiqing Zong
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  4. Sergio Parolari
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yajun Zhao or Sergio Parolari.

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Yuan, Y., Zhao, Y., Zong, B. et al. Potential key technologies for 6G mobile communications. Sci. China Inf. Sci. 63, 183301 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11432-019-2789-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11432-019-2789-y

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