No, 6G isn’t here yet: but with 5G currently being rolled out in various locations around the world, it’s only a matter of time before the newest generation of mobile connections is on everyone’s mind. However, the question remains: just how will 6G different from 5G? What will 6G bring to the table that 5G can’t? And what, exactly, is the current driving force behind the development of 6G? Let’s take a closer look at what consumers can expect from 6G when it makes its debut soon.
5G vs. 4G
First, let’s look at what 5G will bring to the table in contrast to the limitations of 4G to get a better understanding of where 6G will be spring-boarding from when it is finally released. It is already known that 5G networks will have a significantly higher download speed (think 600 Mbps compared to 28 MBps with 4G) and that is already going to make an enormous difference in the quality of connections for mobile device users. Another element that 5G is going to bring to the table is the increased ability to cope with anywhere up to 1 million connections at the same time, compared to the highly limited 4,000 same time connections of 4G.
What Will 6G Bring
With such a significant leap between the networking speed and capabilities of 5G, it begs the question: just what can 6G bring that 5G won’t bring to mobile device users? The most obvious answer is, naturally, an increase in download speeds. Current estimates suggest that 6G will be able to download at almost 1 Terabit–yes, terabit–per second.
What 6G will bring to the table is more than admittedly faster download speeds that will let people connect to social media or websites instantly without the typical lags, delays, and loading times that plague modern devices.
6G will bring something much more substantial: 6G is expected to bring innovative, transformative improvements that will change the way that mobile devices communicate with networks–and what those mobile devices are capable of doing when connected. Most significantly is the fact that self-driving vehicles are being designed with 6G innovations in mind. The ability of 6G to allow artificial intelligence devices to create new, effectively endless network connections and to communicate in less than a millisecond while connected to millions of other devices (including other self-driving vehicles) will vastly change how AI devices like self-driving cars operate. They will be able to be instantly aware of changes on the road, changes to cars around them, changes to traffic, and everything else that will help them safely navigates the roads filled with other cars, cyclists, as well as pedestrians.
6G may not be here yet. But the current work being done on this next wave of mobile technology development is already promising to change the way that artificial intelligence can interact with us in real time, and thus improve the development of AI as a whole for the future.
Research Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.03413
Asif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost, LLC. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over a million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.
