Guest Editorial: 6G: The Paradigm for Future Wireless Communications

While 5G research is maturing toward a global standard, the focus has now shifted toward the development of beyond 5G solutions. Wireless data traffic is estimated to reach 4394 EB by 2030 (Source: International Telecommunication Union), and the number of connected devices might surge beyond 50 billion. 5G will be unable to provide adequate support for various applications that depend on this huge data generated from massively interconnected devices. Many future data-intensive applications and services like pervasive edge intelligence, holographic rendering, high-precision manufacturing, ultra-massive machine-type communications, and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR)-based gaming are expected to demand higher bit rates (terabits per second) and lower latency (less than 1 ms). Here, 6G is expected to extend 5G capabilities to higher levels where millions of connected devices and applications could operate seamlessly with trust, low latency, and high bandwidth. Research in 6G has already begun and is expected to gain momentum very soon. Industries and academia have allocated enormous funds and other resources for 6G research and development. The main focus is expected to be in the deployment of 6G-enabled massive Internet of Things (IoT), interoperability issues, system architectures, energy-efficient technologies, and application of artificial intelligence and other novel techniques to improve network performance, security, and privacy.