Architectural Considerations Enabling the IMT 2030 Framework by European 6G R&D Activities
Date, hour and room to be defined
Organisers:
- Sebastian Robitzsch (InterDigital Europe Ltd, )
- Ömer Bulakci (Nokia, )
- Xi Li (NEC Laboratories Europe, DE)
- Marco Gramaglia (Univ. Carlos III de Madrid, ES)
- Anastasius Gavras (Eurescom, )
- Agapi Mesοdiakaki (Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki, GR)
Motivation and Background
In late 2023, ITU approved M.2160, comprising a recommendation of the “IMT-2030 framework”1. The published framework the basis for standardisation fora such as 3GPP, ETSI, IEEE and IETF to develop 6G technology on six usage scenarios. The usage scenarios are categorised into three extended IMT 2020 (5G) ones on: i) Immersive Communication, ii) Massive Communication, and iii) Hyper Reliable & Low-Latency Communication. In addition to the extended IMT 2020 usage scenarios, three new ones are defined, clearly distinguishing 6G from its redecessor, i.e. iv) Ubiquitous Connectivity, v) AI and Communications, and vi) Integrated Sensing and Communications. The actual KPIs and KVIs for the six usage scenarios will be published by ITU-R later in 2024, allowing Standards Development Organisations(SDOs) to start working on technological advances that map against the indicators. To further steer SDOs to standardise 6G, four overarching aspects the usage scenarios should consider: i) sustainability, ii) connecting the unconnected, iii) ubiquitous intelligence and iv) security/resilience.
For mobile networks, 3GPP has been the key SDO to drive the global standard on RAN+CN and their interaction with UEs and applications. Back in December 2023, 3GPP organisational partners announced2 that 3GPP will develop the next generation of global communications specifications for 6G, demonstrating the global commitment of the importance of 3GPP as the key SDO for mobile networks. Because of this commitment, by mid 2024 there will be a first 3GPP workshop on 6G, setting the route towards study items and allowing EC funded projects, in particular from the SNS calls, to impact global standards such as 3GPP.
The organisers of the workshop strongly believe it is timely to allow SNS projects to present their architectural design innovations, challenges and opportunities, combined with early findings and potential impacts towards 6G, around the six usage scenarios and four overarching aspects.
Structure
The workshop is formed around the six IMT 2030 usage scenarios set out by the ITU-R, complemented by the four overarching aspects on sustainability, connecting the unconnected, ubiquitous intelligence and security/resilience. Each IMT usage scenario will be addressed by a consolidated presentation from multiple relevant projects from the 6G Architecture Working Group. The TPC indicated below will carefully assess and refine the crafted presentations closer to the event if the workshop proposal is successful. The same applies to the titles of the presentations and the speaker names. The consolidated presentations of each usage scenario will address one or more overarching aspects of the IMT 2030 framework. The table below indicates this mapping.
The presentations outlined below are the result of the careful assessment of which consolidated presentation within a usage scenario will address which overarching aspect.
Part 1 (90 min)
Presentations on Extensions from IMT-2020 (14min each):
- Immersive Communication empowered by AI
- Consolidated presentation by 6G-XR, Hexa-X-II, PROTEUS6G, FLEXSCALE
- Hyper Reliable and Low-Latency Communications for Robotics
- Consolidated presentation by FLEXCALE, DETERMINISTIC-6G, DESIRE-6G, PREDICT-6G, ETHER, 6G-SANDBOX
- Sustainable Massive Communication
- Consolidated presentation by ETHER and 6G-NTN, 5G-STARDUST, FLEXSCALE
Presentations on New Usage Scenarios for IMT-2030 (14min each):
- Secure, Reliable and Trustworthy AI and Communication in 6G
- Consolidated presentation by DESIRE-6G, SEASON, VERGE, RIGOUROUS, HORSE
- Integrated Sensing and Communications-Enabled 6G Networks
- Consolidated presentation by ISEE-6G, INSTINCT, 6G-SENSES, 6G-DISAC, 6G GOALS
- Ubiquitous Connectivity for the Unconnected
- Consolidated presentation by ETHER, 6G NTN, 5G-STARDUST, 6G-SANDBOX
This part will cover the first slot of the workshop, after a short introduction (5 minutes) given by the SNS Arch WG chairs.
Part 2 (90min)
In the second part will kick off with an invited keynote on 6G in the light of the IMT 2030 framework, followed by a panel, where the insights from Part 1 of the workshop will be analysed through the lenses of the academic, industry, regulator, and (pre-)standardisation bodies. The keynote speaker and panellists will be finalised upon acceptance, but these are the roles we envision for a fruitful conversation.
Panel Members:
- A representative from a major operator
- A representative from a major vendor
- A representative from the ETSI board
- A representative from the regulator bodies
- A representative from the academic
- A representative from an industrial association such as NGMN or ACIA
- Moderator: A 6G Architecture Working Group representative
