LICENSED AND UNLICENSED SPECTRUM FOR FUTURE
5G/B5G WIRELESS SYSTEMS
6G Wireless Communications: Vision and Potential Techniques
Ping Yang, Yue Xiao, Ming Xiao, and Shaoqian Li
Abstract
With the fast development of smart terminals
and emerging new applications (e.g., real-time
and interactive services), wireless data traffic has
drastically increased, and current cellular networks
(even the forthcoming 5G) cannot completely
match the quickly rising technical requirements.
To meet the coming challenges, the sixth gener-
ation (6G) mobile network is expected to cast
the high technical standard of new spectrum and
energy-efficient transmission techniques. In this
article, we sketch the potential requirements and
present an overview of the latest research on
the promising techniques evolving to 6G, which
have recently attracted considerable attention.
Moreover, we outline a number of key techni-
cal challenges as well as the potential solutions
associated with 6G, including physical-layer trans-
mission techniques, network designs, security
approaches, and testbed developments.
Introduction
With the maturity and forthcoming commercial-
ization of the fifth generation (5G), the expec-
tation and development of 6G mobile network
have attracted a great deal of attention. In the
past two years, some countries have released
relevant research plans concerning the develop-
ment of 6G. For example, in September 2017,
the European Union launched a three-year
research project on the basic 6G technologies.
The main task is to study the next generation for-
ward error correction coding, advanced channel
coding, and channel modulation technologies
for wireless terabit networks (https://futurecom-
research.eu). At the end of 2017, China began
to study the 6G mobile communication system
to meet the inconstant and rich demands of the
Internet of Things (IoT) in the future, such as
medical imaging, augmented reality, and sensing
(www.china.org.cn). In April 2018, the Acade-
my of Finland announced an eight-year research
program, “6Genesis,” to conceptualize 6G
through a joint effort of the University of Oulu
and Nokia. More recently, the U.K. government
has invested in some potential techniques (e.g.,
€15 million in quantum technology studies) for
6G and beyond (https://www.standard.co.uk/
tech/quantum-technologies), some universities
in the United States have lunched research on
terahertz-based 6G wireless networks, and South
Korea Telecom (SKT) has started 6G research
based on the cell-free and non-terrestrial net-
work techniques.
Digital Object Identifier:
10.1109/MNET.2019.1800418 Ping Yang, Yue Xiao, and Shaoqian Li are with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China; Ming Xiao is with the School of Electrical Engineering.
70 0890-8044/19/$25.00 © 2019 IEEE
In [1], based on the regularity of market entry
of past commercial wireless communication sys-
tems and the expectation for 6G, the authors
forecasted that 6G will start its commercialization
in 10 years. In general, the 6G mobile network
is expected to provide ultrafast speed, greater
capacity, and ultra-low latency for supporting the
possibility of new applications, such as fine med-
icine, intelligence disaster prediction, and surreal
virtual reality (VR). Based on the former evolution
rule of mobile networks, early 6G networks will
be mainly based on the existing 5G architecture,
inheriting the benefits achieved in 5G (e.g., the
increased authorized frequency bands and the
optimized de-centralized network architecture)
and prodigiously changing the way we work and
play.
Around 2030, our society will likely become
data-driven, enabled by nearly instantaneous,
unlimited wireless connectivity [1]. As a result, 6G
is expected to advance the wireless technologies
we are familiar with today and achieve consider-
ably enhanced system performance. As a vision
for the future, in terms of speed, 6G will proba-
bly utilize higher frequency spectrum than previ-
ous generations in order to improve the data rate
expected to be 100 to 1000 times faster than that
of 5G [2]. To be specific, 6G networks will allow
hundred gigabits per second to terabit-per-sec-
ond links by making use of multi-band high-spread
spectrum; for example, the combination use of
1–3 GHz band, millimeter-wave (mmWave) band
(30–300 GHz), and terahertz band (0.06–10
THz) [3].
On the other hand, in terms of capacity, com-
pared to 5G, 6G will be able to flexibly and effi-
ciently connect upper trillion-level objects rather
than the current billion-level mobile devices. As a
result, the 6G network becomes extremely dense,
and its capacity may be 10 to 1000 times higher
than that of 5G systems and networks.
Furthermore, in terms of latency, from 2G to
5G, the evolution of mobile communication net-
works is centered on service people, and hence
latency depends on human reaction times, such
as the auditory reaction time ( ~ 100 ms), the
visual reaction time (~10 ms), and the perceptu-
al response time (~1 ms). For the application of
tactile Internet, 5G technology will allow for a
latency time of 1 ms; however, this is too long for
Industrial IoT (IIoT) and some other latency-sensi-
tive applications. For example, a minimal latency
time is essential for decreasing collision rates and
improving the safety in autonomous vehicles. For
this purpose, 6G aims for an undectable (<1 ms)
IEEE Network • July/August 2019
or even nonexistent latency, since it can enhance
the application of autonomous vehicles, augment-
6G
ed reality, and medical imaging. Indeed, with the Space 1G∼4G 5G

emergence of more new unmanned and auton-

omous applications, the latency time no longer
solely depends on human reaction times.
While the preliminary sketch of 6G is being
drawn up, efforts on configuring the potential
techniques to match the aforementioned appeal- Conventional MIMO Massive MIMO Ultra Massive MIMO

ing vision remain in a nascent stage. It is worth

noting that in [1], the authors first provided a gen-
eral survey of different wireless generations and
Time
then highlighted an initial sketch of 6G based on 4G 70ms 6G<1ms
6G<1m
the requirements of future users. Compared to
[1], this article summarizes the potential require- 6G
5G
G 1ms
1m
ments and the latest research on promising 3G >10
>100ms
100ms

techniques toward the evolution to 6G. Anoth-

er important purpose of this article is to provide
the scientific community with an overview of the
most challenging aspects in the focused context
of 6G mobile networks and to give helpful sug- Frequency
gestions for overcoming these challenges. f: 300MHz 3GHz 30GHz 300GHz 3THz 30THz 300THz
micro
IR UV
A sketch of 6g bAsed on the tIMe-freQuency-
Radio waves THz
TV

spAce resource utIlIZAtIon λ:

In general, in the evolution and development
of mobile networks, emerging new transmission
schemes, such as code-division multiple access
(CDMA) in 3G, multiple-input multiple-output
(MIMO), and orthogonal frequency-division mul-
tiplexing (OFDM) in 4G, the mmWave technique
and massive MIMO in 5G, boil down to the ques-
tion of how to innovatively exploit the degrees of
freedom (DoFs) of time, frequency, and spatial
resources to satisfy the diverse and refined require-
ments of society. Based on this perspective, in this
section, we rough out and discuss the potential
trends of utilizing these resources in 6G mobile
networks.
Following on the innovation directions of pre-
vious mobile networks, 6G will be super-flexible
in terms of the utilization of time-frequency-space
resources in order to provide higher speed, great-
er capacity, and ultra-low latency for future faster-
than-5G applications. Specifically, as depicted in
Fig. 1, the DoFs of time-frequency-space resourc-
es will be exploited in 6G as follows:
• In the frequency dimension, 6G will utilize
higher frequency spectrum than previous
generations in order to improve the data
rates. On one hand, high frequency bands,
such as mmWave band, terahertz band,
and even visible-light frequency band will
be used for the 100 Gb/s+ transmissions in
6G. On the other hand, in the future, mobile
networks may be integrated with satellite
systems and the Internet to build space-air-
ground integrated networks, which will
indeed increase the frequency ranges for ser-
vices from the viewpoint of personal mobile
communications.
• In the space dimension, for further taking
advantage of multipaths, the number of
antennas equipped on both the transmitter
and receiver will be increased. Post-massive
MIMO (PM-MIMO) techniques, such as
ultra-massive MIMO (UM-MIMO) for tera-
hertz comminations, may support hundreds
to thousands of transmit/receive anten-
E:
1m 10cm 1cm 1mm 100μm
1.24μeV 12.4μeV 124μeV 1.24meV 12.4meV 124meV
10μm 1μm
1.24eV
FIGURE 1. A sketch of 6G based on the time-frequency-space resource utilization.
nas, for example, the (N r, N t) = (1024 
1024)-element UM-MIMO design for 1 THz
transmissions [4].
• In the time dimension, 6G will deliver the
low latency and architectural shift that 5G
is promising. Even more, the basic time
slot unit in 6G may be more compressed
to more efficiently use the high frequency
bands and satisfy latency-sensitive services.
When the time particles become finer, the
flexibility and versatility of the networks will
be improved and hence facilitate their down-
ward compatibility for 2G to 5G.
• In general, the time-frequency-space resource
utilization is interrelated. For example, when
higher frequencies are used, the arrange-
ment of multiple antennas becomes easier
in terms of size. For example, for frequency
at 60 GHz, 144+ antenna elements can be
embedded in 1 cm2, while for 1 THz, 1000+
elements can be embedded in 1 mm 2 [4].
These multi-domain interrelations also exist
in 6G.
proMIsIng technIQues for evolvIng to 6g
In order to provide satisfying services for Industry
4.0, personalized health services, virtual presence,
and other challenging anticipated applications in the
future, 6G needs to further enhance its scalability,
flexibility, and efficiency by embracing novel tech-
niques. Like the emergence of many new technol-
ogies when the wireless world moves toward 5G,
the new requirements of 6G will influence the main
technology trends in its evolution process. The suc-
cess of 6G will have to leverage breakthroughs in
novel technological concepts. In this section, we

IEEE Network • July/August 2019 71


6G systems will also need to serve a wide range of applications in diversified scenarios, which have
been defined in 5G. Moreover, with the rise of smart homes, buildings, cities, and society, 6G will meet
the increased demands for human-to-machine and machine-to-machine communications, especially
with the development of robotic and autonomous drone systems.
review a range of recent research findings related
to 6G design, including multi-band ultrafast-speed
transmission techniques, super-flexible integrated
network designs, multi-mode multi-domain joint
transmission, as well as machine learning and big-da-
ta-assisted intelligent approaches.
Multi-Band Ultrafast-Speed Transmission
For our bandwidth-hungry society, 2G, 3G, and
4G have used frequencies that reach approxi-
mately up to 6 GHz, while 5G systems exploit the
range of less than 6 GHz as efficiently as possible
by combining 24–100 GHz. Recently, developers
are realizing that the current frequency bands may
not be enough to serve the growing demands; for
example, an uncompressed ultra high-definition
video may reach 24 Gb/s, and some 3D videos
may reach to 100 Gb/s [3]. As a result, in 6G,
we will jump above 100 GHz, and the new radio
will consider not only the traditional sub-5 GHz
band but also validate little-explored frequency
sources such as mmWave and terahertz bands to
overcome the spectrum scarcity and provide wide
bandwidth from hundreds of megahertz to sever-
al gigaherts and even to terahertz.
In recent years, a flurry of research activities
have been reported concerning the use of multi-
ple high-frequency bands for ultrafast-speed trans-
missions, which are recommended as promising
solutions for 6G. Specifically, a consortium of
DARPA, IBM, and Intel has focused on research
into using 140 GHz, 220 GHz, and 340 GHz
frequencies (https://spectrum.ieee.org). In early
2014, Akyildiz et al. provided an in-depth view
of terahertz band in the range of 0.1–10 THz for
supporting terabit-per-second high-speed com-
munications [4]. A further advance of terahertz
band communication is that it is enabled to simul-
taneously support macro-scale and micro-scale
applications, such as terabit wireless local area
networks (WLAN) and nanosensor networks.
Teams at New York University are already
working on terahertz research and quantum
devices, with the goal that transmit rates in 6G
are expected to be 1000 times faster than those
in 5G. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute
have cooperated with researchers from Heinrich
Hertz Institute and other partners from industry
to build a network connection in the terahertz fre-
quency range that is sufficiently stable to allow for
wireless data transmission at speeds of up to 400
Gb/s (https://www.networkworld.com). In [3],
several terahertz-based medium access protocols
for mobile heterogeneous networks were investi-
gated, where conventional mWave, mmWave, and
terahertz bands could coexist.
Moreover, another trend in 6G may be
dynamically using different frequencies, especial-
ly these unlicensed bands, in order to enjoy the
benefits of the sharing architecture. For example,
as predicted in [1], optical indoor communication
(visible-light frequency band) is a promising high-
72
rate technique to replace conventional WLAN,
since people spend most of their time indoors
(more than 80 percent). Furthermore, we can
also combine the fiber optic technology with the
wireless-type transmissions for further improve-
ment. The coexistence of multiple high-frequency
bands and the dynamic utilization of different fre-
quencies can be realized by advanced software
defined radio (SDR) and software defined net-
working (SDN) techniques. Moreover, the emerg-
ing blockchain technique may be an appealing
solution to facilitate dynamic spectrum sharing in
the future (https://venturebeat.com/). With these
aforementioned novel techniques, it is expected
that 6G networks will be easier to upgrade based
on the existing 4G and future 5G equipment.
Super Flexible Integrated Network
6G systems will also need to serve a wide range
of applications in diverse scenarios, which have
been defined in 5G. Moreover, with the rise of
smart homes, buildings, cities, and society, 6G will
meet the increased demands for human-to-ma-
chine and machine-to-machine communications,
especially with the development of robotic and
autonomous drone systems. For the purpose of
the Internet of Everything (IoE) in the future, 6G
will be an ultra-dense network with super flexi-
bility, which can deftly integrate different tech-
niques to simultaneously satisfy various different
service requirements. Moreover, 6G networks
will be decentralized and designed based on the
integration of terrestrial communications, aerial
networks, and satellite systems in order to accom-
modate emerging and urgently needed services
(e.g., disaster prediction), and to realize global
coverage and stringent seamless access, even for
ocean and mountain areas.
Recently, many efforts have been devoted
to designing super flexible integrated networks.
Specifically, in [3] the authors proposed a scal-
able heterogeneous network architecture for
supporting THz band communications, where a
novel medium access control (MAC) protocol
facilitating multi-band transmission was proposed.
In [5], a potential architecture of the space-ter-
restrial integrated network (STIN) that integrates
the space network, Internet, and mobile wireless
network was introduced. In general, STIN is a
large-scale heterogeneous network with high flex-
ibility, complex structure, and dynamic topology.
By jointly exploiting the advantages of satellite sys-
tems, air segment networks, and ground segment
systems, this multidimensional network will bring
lots of benefits for future 6G wireless communi-
cations. In particular, as shown in [6], with the
increasing number and types of aerial vehicles,
such as balloon, airship, and unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV), the flying base station (FBS) assist-
ed dynamic networks can be built to improve
the conventional static structure. For example, in
recent years, many different FBS projects have
sprung up, such as the Google Loon project, the
Facebook Aquila project, the ABSOLUTE project,
and the Matternet project [6].
Multi-Mode Multi-Domain Joint Transmission
One of the most challenging tasks in 6G is to
conceive suitable physical-layer transmission tech-
niques to support the newly used spectral bands
IEEE Network • July/August 2019
and enable new applications, including ultra-
high-speed indoor wireless services. For example,
when THz band frequencies are utilized, how to
deal with the high spreading loss and molecular
absorption is a vital issue. For this research objec-
tive, many universities and research centers have
begun to study the next generation forward error
correction coding, advanced channel coding, and
channel modulation technologies for multi-band
ultrafast-speed wireless communications [1, 4].
In [4], a distance-adaptive physical layer
design was proposed for mmWave and THz
band communications, where each GHz (even
THz) ultra-wide band was divided into narrow-
er but still broadband sub-windows for allowing
parallel multiple wideband transmissions. In each
band, to add efficiency, novel multiple antenna
techniques can be adapted, such as the PM-MI-
MO technique. Specifically, as shown in [4], a
novel class of PM-MIMO, namely UM-MIMO, is
a promising solution for increasing the commu-
nication distance and improving the attainable
capacity of the THz-band networks. Moreover,
for further enhancing the PM-MIMO design, the
multi-mode multiple antenna techniques, such as
beamforming (BF) and spatial multiplexing (SMX),
can be dynamically combined and adapted. BF
can effectively decrease the effects of high atten-
uation at mmWave and THz bands, while SMX is
able to increase the capacity per user. The above
benefits of BF and SMX can be simultaneously
obtained by adopting their combination in these
parallel broadbands. Furthermore, to achieve the
diversity gain inherited in MIMO for some specific
applications, space diversity techniques, such as
some classic space-time block codes (STBCs), can
also be integrated.
Besides the multi-mode techniques, multi-do-
main joint transmission techniques are also
promising for future 6G transmission. For exam-
ple, orbital angular momentum-based mode-di-
vision multiplexing (OAM-MDM) is an emerging
low-complexity but high-spectral-efficiency phys-
ical layer solution for short-distance line-of-sight
wireless communications, which is capable of
employing all available DoFs to convey the
information over wireless links, including phase,
polarization state, and other spatial DoFs [7]. In
contrast, for innovatively exploiting the DoFs of
multiple antennas (space-domain) and multiple
carriers (frequency domain), in [8] a multi-do-
main index modulation (MD-IM) technique was
proposed, which relies on the generalized on/
off keying principle applied to any of the avail-
able signal resource domains to modulate the
information bits on to the indices of the transmit
resources, including the indices of subcarriers,
transmit/receive antennas, code types, dispersion
matrices, signal powers, precoding matrices, and
so on. In general, OAM-MDM and MD-IM cre-
ate completely new dimensions for data transmis-
sion. The main benefit of OAM-MDM and MD-IM
techniques is that they can be flexibly configured
to satisfy different performance requirements
for supporting a wide variety of applications,
which is in accord with the basic requirement
of 6G network design. As a further advance, the
above-mentioned multi-mode and multi-domain
techniques can be roundly and penetratively com-
bined for more efficient and flexible designs.
IEEE Network • July/August 2019
Machine Learning and
Big Data Assisted Intelligent Transmission
Another trend predicted for 6G is intelligent
networks and technologies to enable a fully
immersive experience for users. For this research
objective, 6G needs to be innovated by using
and combining technologies from other fields.
In recent years, breakthroughs have been made
in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine
learning technologies, such as deep learning neu-
ral network (DNN) algorithms [9]. In machine
learning, the optimal solution (e.g., the optimal
transmit mode) is capable of being obtained by
classification or neural network learning instead
of tedious calculation, where the classifiers and
DNNs can be trained by offline datasets. These
machine-learning-based methods are the best can-
didates to improve the design and optimization
of wireless communication systems. Specifically,
the key issues behind synchronization, channel
estimation, equalization, MIMO signal detection,
iterative decoding, and multi-user detection in
wireless communication systems are similar to the
theoretical basis of machine learning.
6G will be a big data-driven network, since it
is expected to support extremely high data rates
with heterogeneity in applications, devices, and
networks. As a result, besides the machine learn-
ing techniques, some emerging big data tech-
niques can be employed for further improving the
6G network design. For example, the latency will
be improved through the use of machine learning
and big data to determine the best way to trans-
mit data from the user to the base station, since
an intelligent 6G network will be capable of pro-
viding predictive analysis.
Motivated by the above-mentioned appealing
characteristics of machine learning and big data
techniques, a flurry of research activities on intelli-
gent wireless communication system designs have
been sparked. Specifically, machine learning was
considered as a key approach in [1] for realizing
6G from a user perspective. In [9] the authors
summarized the machine learning techniques
for massive MIMO optimization, heterogeneous
network design, and device-to-device communi-
cations. In [10], a novel mobile network architec-
ture enabling big data analytics was proposed for
facilitating physical layer optimizations. It is worth
noting in [9–11] that machine learning and big
data techniques will not only deliver compelling
system performance but also profoundly change
the design and configuration of the future 6G
networks (e. g., the physical-layer processing and
MAC protocol). Furthermore, machine learning
and big data analytics are not independent and
unrelated in future 6G network design. As noted
in [11], by jointly utilizing these techniques, the
mobile networks will become more promising in
terms of self-adaptive, self-aware, and predictive
ability.
Indeed, intelligent 6G network design requires
knowledge and methods from multi-disciplinary
aspects. To be specific, methods in optimization
theory, data mining, computer science, and even
life science will be involved. Recently, based on
the development of brain-machine interface tech-
niques, mind-controlled machines are gradually
being realized [12], which have led some scien-
73
 Potential techniques
for future 6G

Multi-mode multi-
Multi-band ultrafast- Super flexible Intelligent
domain joint
speed transmission integrated network transmission
transmission

Flexible
Multi-mode ultra- Machine learning
mmWave band heterogeneous
massive MIMO [4] [9]
network [3]
Space-terrestrial
Visible-light Big data
integrated network OAM-MDM [7]
frequency band techniques [10]
[5]
Multi-disciplinary
THz band Flying base station Multi-domain index
techniques [11]-
(0.1-10 THz) [6] modulation [8]
[12]

FIGURE 2. Some promising techniques for future 6G networks.

the bottlenecks of mobile communication devel-

Problems Leading to
6G Communications
Power Supply Network Security Hardware Design
Hybrid Power Supply Well-Integrated Multi-
Level Security,
Optoelectronic Integration
(Wireless energy harvesting
and wireless power ( Distributed
(Smaller modems and
antennas )
transfer, ...) management mechanism )
Potential Solutions
FIGURE 3. Some potential problems for 6G development and their promising
solutions.
tists to speculate that mind-to-mind communica-
tions may be possible in 6G and beyond (https://
www.iflscience.com/). Moreover, a 6G network
may also include other communication types,
such as molecular communications [13] for future
micro- or nano-scale medical applications. In
these long-term, forward-looking, and service-ori-
ented visions, the biology and chemistry fields are
involved in future communication theory.
In conclusion, we summarize the aforemen-
tioned potential techniques for future 6G in Fig. 2.
Further Issues for 6G Development
It is worth noting that research in 6G is still in its
infancy; hence, there are numerous open issues to
resolve. We explore the potential main unresolved
issues of the future 6G network designed in this
section, and provide readers with inspiration for
addressing these issues, as summarized in Fig. 3.
Power Supply Issue
6G will be able to flexibly and efficiently connect
upper trillions of autonomous low-power mobile
devices. In this case, energy-efficient techniques
become very important in terms of the user expe-
rience. Currently, most smartphones can only
be powered to last for one day, which narrows
opment. As a result, it necessitates novel power
supply techniques along with simplified signal pro-
cessing architecture to make the 6G network effi-
cient for the continued growth of mobile devices.
To deal with this issue, on one hand, new
mobile device architectures enabling different
power supply methods can be developed, espe-
cially for wireless-type methods (e.g., wireless
energy harvesting and wireless power transfer).
On the other hand, advanced energy-efficient
wireless communication techniques can be adapt-
ed. For example, we can design low-complexi-
ty precoding and signal detection algorithms to
deal with its ultrahigh-dimension counterparts in
UM-MIMO multi-user scenarios, resulting in high
power efficiency. Moreover, the integrated opti-
mization of power supply method and wireless
transmission technique based on the requirement
of the mobile devices is a strategic approach for
realizing the future mobile-powered 6G network
and enabling energy autonomy for pervasive
devices over diversified conditions.
Network Security Issue
Security is a critical issue for 6G wireless net-
works, especially when the STIN technique is
employed. In 6G, besides the conventional phys-
ical layer security, other types of security, such
as integrated network security, should be jointly
considered. Therefore, new security approaches,
relying on low complexity and having high securi-
ty levels, are worth more intensive study.
To this end, some physical layer security tech-
niques proposed for 5G can be extended for 6G
networks, such as low-density parity check (LDP-
C)-based secure massive MIMO; secure mmWave
techniques may also be suitable for UM-MIMO
and THz band applications. For the integrated net-
work security, a proper management mechanism
of different function keys for different security
areas is very important. As shown in [5], a distrib-
uted key management mechanism jointly consid-
ering the unicast and multicast communication
key management may be a promising solution
for STIN. With efficient management and imple-
mentation, these physical-layer and network-layer
security techniques can formulate a well-integrat-

74 IEEE Network • July/August 2019

ed security solution that efficiently protects the
confidential and privacy information in 6G net-
works.
Hardware Design Issue
The third major challenge is miniaturizing present-
ly large high-frequency transmitters and receivers.
For example, Qualcomm and other companies
spent years reducing mmWave components from
the size of meter level (e.g., airport body scan-
ners) to fingertip-sized modems and antennas.
For terahertz band, this issue may be more chal-
lenging. For example, the antenna for jointly using
mmWave and terahertz bands may need to be
invented again, since the antenna size may vary in
proportion from nanometers to micrometers. As
shown in [15], optoelectronic integration (integrat-
ing the optical and electronic modules) is a prom-
ising technique for high-frequency communication
systems, which is capable of exploiting the joint
benefits of on-chip integration, high-speed semi-
conductor, and advanced antenna techniques.
Conclusions
We have presented a vision for 6G mobile net-
works, which can cater to the growing demands
of IoE. We commence with a sketch of 6G from
the viewpoint of time, frequency, and space
resource utilization. Then we review some promis-
ing recent approaches that could move this vision
closer to reality. Finally, we focus our attention on
some challenges in 6G communication systems,
which will hopefully serve as guidelines for their
future development. We note that the major fea-
tures of 6G networks are their flexibility and ver-
satility, and the design of 6G networks is a truly
multidisciplinary field of science. We expect that
the new research on 6G will also impact the areas
of medical imaging, semiconductors, spectros-
copy, chemistry, and even biotechnology. We
hope that this work motivates more collaboration
between researchers from these different areas.
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the National Key R&D
Program of China under Grant 2017YFE0121500,
the National Science Foundation of China under
Grant 61876033, and the Foundation Project
of the National Key Laboratory of Science and
Technology on Communications under Grant
9140C020108140C02005
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Biographies
Ping Yang [M'13, SM'16] (yang.ping@uestc.edu.cn) received
his Ph.D. degree from the University of Electronic Science and
Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, in 2013, where he is
currently an associate professor. From 2012 to 2013, he was a
visiting student at the School of Electronics and Computer Sci-
ence, University of Southampton, United Kingdom. From 2014
to 2016, he was a research fellow at the School of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Sin-
gapore. He has published and presented more than 80 papers
in journals and conference proceedings. His research interests
include 5G and beyond wireless systems, machine learning, and
bionic communication systems.
Y ue X iao [M'08] (xiaoyue@uestc.edu.cn) received his Ph.D.
degree in communication and information systems from the
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in
2007, where he is currently a full professor. He has published
more than 100 papers and been involved in several projects in
the Chinese Beyond Third-Generation Communication Research
and Development Program. Currently, he serves as an Editor
of IEEE Communications Letters. His research interests include
wireless and mobile communications.
Ming Xiao [S'02, M'07, SM'12] received his Ph.D. degree from
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, in November
2007. Since November 2007, he has been in Information Sci-
ence and Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, KTH,
where he is currently an associate professor in communications
theory. He has been an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Commu-
nications, IEEE Communications Letters, and the IEEE Journal on
Selected Area in Communications Special Issue on Millimeter
Wave Communications for Future Mobile Networks.
S haoqian L i [F'16] (lsq@uestc.edu.cn) received his B.S.
degree in communication technology from the Northwest
Institute of Telecommunication, Xidian University, Xi'an,
China, in 1982 and his M.S. degree in communication sys-
tems from the University of Electronic Science and Tech-
nology of China, in 1984. He is currently a professor, Ph.D.
supervisor, director of the National Key Lab of Communica-
tion, director of the School of Communication and Informa-
tion Engineering at the same university, and a member of the
National High Technology Research and Development Pro-
gram (863 Program) Communications Group. His research
interests include wireless communication theory, anti-interfer-
ence technology for wireless communications, spread-spec-
trum and frequency-hopping technology, and mobile and
personal communications.
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