Harnessing AI to Propel 6G: Huawei's Connectivity Vision
As 5G networks continue to roll out across the globe and the new connectivity ushered in, industry leaders and researchers are setting their sights on the future: 6G.
This next generation of mobile technology promises to be more than just an incremental improvement and its ability to usher in new capabilities will be through AI augmentation, Huawei Wireless CTO Dr Wen Tong explained to the 6G Conference at Global MBB Forum 2024.
"6G is a true intergenerational technological disruption," he stated. "6G standard, key technologies, and network architecture should be re-defined based on application scenarios and requirements from 2030 to 2040"
Industry giants like Huawei, with their extensive experience in both AI and mobile network technologies, are therefore leading the research in this revolution, envisioning a future where AI is not just an add-on, but an integral part of the network infrastructure itself.
Dr Tong discussed his views on the future architecture, deployment and key technologies required to bolster the roll-out of 6G,
AI-Driven architecture and Innovation
Dr Tong emphasised that AI will become a key enabler for 6G, leading to a shift in network paradigms. With the release of the ITU-R 6G vision framework, 3GPP will commence 6G standardisation in 2025. Dr Tong emphasised that 6G should not be a mere upgrade of 5G, but rather a paradigm shift that fully embraces the AI revolution.
In terms of architecture design, this means 6G should transcend the current Service-Based Architecture and evolve towards an Application-Driven Network, explained Dr Tong.
“6G should embrace the AI revolution with a quantum leap and generate new values for the consumers,” he said. “In this way, 3GPP standards can truly realise the 6G vision and create greater value for the entire industry."
This shift is crucial to support the foundational capabilities of AI, Sensing, and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).
Reusing the 5G core network can hinder the innovation in AI. Dr Tong therefore advocated Agentic-AI based technology to re-architect 6G Core that goes beyond 5G Service-Based Architecture and support the foundational capabilities of AI, Sensing and NTN, evolving towards the Application Driven Network.
This integration promises to unlock unprecedented capabilities, from ultra-low latency communications to intelligent, self-optimising networks that can adapt in real-time to user needs and environmental conditions.
Yet, all this network upgrades require significant hardware to match. Regarding user devices, Dr Tong highlighted the need for a breakthrough to drive the success of the entire industry chain.
He empahsised a shift towards "Full-AI" terminals is needed, marking a significant departure from current smartphone technology.
These AI-powered devices will be instrumental in ushering in the mobile AI era and driving the upgrade of 6G networks. Already, Huawei has integrated its AI tool Pangu into HarmonyOS that operates on its phones, demonstrating the company's push to put the tech in mobile devices.
AI as a Key Enabler for 6G
Although Dr Tong noted that while 6G should embrace the AI revolution, it should not be limited to Gen AI. Instead, he pointed to General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) and Embodiment-AI as the main directions for future AI development in 6G networks.
Yet although bullish on 6G, Dr Tong stressed industry should not disavow the strides made in 5G as a result. "The global 5G deployment is on the rise and evolving to 5G-Advanced, which not only meets the current requirements of operators, but also protects their investment. Therefore, 6G technologies should not overlap with 5G in technologies and market space".
Instead, AI enabled 6G can offer in a space catering towards different applications. The integration of AI into 6G networks opens up a world of possibilities for new applications and services and enterprise use cases, like Autonomous Systems, smart cities, and fully autonomous driving.
As Huawei continues to make strides in AI and mobile network technologies, its vision for how to usher in 6G represents a innovative outlook to new technologies and their potential solutions.
While 5G continues to evolve and meet current needs, the future of 6G as envisioned by Huawei promises to expand the boundaries of what's possible in mobile communications. "We should focus on true generational technology disruption, embrace the new opportunities brought by AI, expand the mobile industry in the next generation,” Dr Tong concluded.
Explore 6G solutions at Gitex
At the same time, Huawei will hold the Huawei Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit 2024, dozens of forums, hundreds of talks and keynote speeches, exchanging thoughts with the industry. At this exhibition, Huawei's booth is located at B10&B20, Hall 22, Dubai World Trade Center. It covers an area of more than 1400 square metres, with the focus on two themes: "Accelerate Industrial Digitalization and Intelligence" and "Leading Digital and Intelligent Infrastructure".
They are extending a welcome for all to visit the GITEX Global Huawei exhibition area to experience and join its journey of "Accelerate Industrial Digitalization and Intelligence".
He adds: “Therefore, AGI should run through the whole process of sensing, reasoning, decision, and action of terminals, wireless networks and core networks of 6G, to welcome the arrival of a new network paradigm.
“We should focus on true generational technology disruption, embrace the new opportunities brought by AI and expand the mobile industry in the next generation.”
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