Towards 6G Wireless Communication Networks: Vision, Enabling Technologies, and New Paradigm Shifts

Fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks are being deployed worldwide and more capabilities are in the process of being standardized, such as massive connectivity, ultra-reliability, and low latency. However, 5G will not meet all requirements of the future, and sixth generation (6G) wireless networks are expected to provide global coverage, enhanced spectral/energy/cost efficiency, greater intelligence and security, etc.

To meet these requirements, 6G networks will rely on new enabling technologies, i.e., air interface and transmission technologies and novel network architectures, such as waveform design, multiple access, channel coding schemes, multi-antenna technologies, network slicing, cell-free architecture, and cloud/fog/edge computing. One vision on 6G is that it will have four new paradigm shifts. First, to satisfy the requirement of global coverage, 6G will not be limited to terrestrial communication networks, which will need to be complemented with non-terrestrial networks such as satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication networks, thus achieving a space-air-ground-sea integrated communication networks. Multiple spectra will be exploited to further increase data rates and connection density, including the sub-6 GHz, millimeter wave (mmWave), terahertz (THz), and optical frequency bands. Third, facing the very large datasets generated by heterogeneous networks, diverse communication scenarios, large numbers of antennas, wide bandwidths, and new service requirements, 6G networks will enable a new range of smart applications with the aid of AI-related technologies. And, fourth, network security will have to be strengthened when developing 6G networks. This talk will review recent advances and future trends in these four aspects.

Princeton Professor H. Vincent Poor, IEEE Life Fellow, is a world pioneer in information theory and signal processing and their applications in wireless networks and energy systems. He received a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from Princeton University in 1977 upon which he joined on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) until 1990.  Since 1990, he has been on the faculty of Princeton University where he is currently the Michael Henry Starter University Professor of Electrical Engineering and has been Dean of Princeton School of Engineering and Applied Science between 2006-2016. He is also Honorary Professor at Peking University, Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University, Distinguished Chair Professor for Research at the National Taiwan University, and Visiting Professor at Imperial College London. He also held numerous visiting appointments at other universities including most recently Berkeley and Cambridge.

Poor has served as the advisor to more than 100 doctoral and postdoctoral students. In recognition of his pillar technical contributions, he was awarded several Honorary Doctorates from many universities including: University of Waterloo (2019), Syracuse University (2017), Aalto University (2014), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2012), Aalborg University (2012), and University of Edinburgh (2011). Professor Vincent Poor received several outstanding awards and distinctions in recognition of his distinguished teaching, mentorship, and educational contributions including: ASEE Benjamin Garver Lamme Award (2019), IEEE Women in Communications Engineering Outstanding Mentorship Award (2015), European Association for Signal Processing Athanasios Papoulis Award (2015), IEEE James H. Mulligan Jr. Education Medal (2005), IEEE Education Society William E. Sayle Award for Achievement in Education (2005), National Science Foundation Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars (2002), and IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award (2001).  Professor Vincent Poor also received numerous prestigious awards and distinctions in recognition of his distinguished and pillar research and technical contributions, including: IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal (2017), American Association of Engineering Societies John Fritz Medal (2016), URSI Booker Gold Medal (2014), IEEE Eric E. Sumner Award (2011), IEEE Signal Processing Society Norbert Wiener Society Award (2011), IET Ambrose Fleming Medal for Achievement in Communications (2010), IEEE Communications Society Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award (2009), and IEEE Communication Society Guglielmo Marconi Award (2007).