White Paper on Critical and Massive Machine Type Communication Towards 6G (2004.14146v2)

Abstract: The society as a whole, and many vertical sectors in particular, is becoming increasingly digitalized. Machine Type Communication (MTC), encompassing its massive and critical aspects, and ubiquitous wireless connectivity are among the main enablers of such digitization at large. The recently introduced 5G New Radio is natively designed to support both aspects of MTC to promote the digital transformation of the society. However, it is evident that some of the more demanding requirements cannot be fully supported by 5G networks. Alongside, further development of the society towards 2030 will give rise to new and more stringent requirements on wireless connectivity in general, and MTC in particular. Driven by the societal trends towards 2030, the next generation (6G) will be an agile and efficient convergent network serving a set of diverse service classes and a wide range of key performance indicators (KPI). This white paper explores the main drivers and requirements of an MTC-optimized 6G network, and discusses the following six key research questions: - Will the main KPIs of 5G continue to be the dominant KPIs in 6G; or will there emerge new key metrics? - How to deliver different E2E service mandates with different KPI requirements considering joint-optimization at the physical up to the application layer? - What are the key enablers towards designing ultra-low power receivers and highly efficient sleep modes? - How to tackle a disruptive rather than incremental joint design of a massively scalable waveform and medium access policy for global MTC connectivity? - How to support new service classes characterizing mission-critical and dependable MTC in 6G? - What are the potential enablers of long term, lightweight and flexible privacy and security schemes considering MTC device requirements?

• The paper provides a comprehensive review of Critical and Massive Machine Type Communication (MTC) towards 6G, identifying drivers, use cases, evolving requirements, and potential enablers.
• The paper highlights evolving requirements for MTC in 6G, including stringent KPIs like E2E reliability up to 1-10 -7, latency as low as 1 ms, and new metrics like Age of Information and E2E energy efficiency.
• The paper identifies potential enablers for 6G MTC, such as holistic network architectures, energy-efficient devices, global scalability via non-terrestrial networks, mission-critical optimizations, and enhanced security/privacy methods.

Critical and Massive Machine Type Communication Towards 6G

The paper "White Paper on Critical and Massive Machine Type Communication Towards 6G" addresses the evolution of machine type communication (MTC) in the context of 6G networks, focusing on the technological demands and potentials as society progresses towards 2030. This review articulates a comprehensive understanding of the drivers, use cases, requirements, and potential enablers for an MTC-optimized 6G network.

Key Drivers and Use Cases

The paper identifies several drivers that will shape MTC by 2030, such as autonomous mobility, connected living, factories of the future, digital reality as a frontier technology, the concept of 'zero' world, and data as the new oil. These drivers underline the necessity for ubiquitous connectivity that is integral to several technological and societal trends. Notably, use cases such as connected industries, swarm networking, personalized body area networks, zero-energy IoT, internet of senses, and distributed ledger technology are highlighted. Each of these use cases embodies diverse requirements ranging from ultra-reliable low latency to massive device connectivity.

Evolving Requirements

MTC in future networks will impose novel KPIs and more stringent requirements on existing ones. While reliability, latency, connection density, and energy efficiency remain crucial, emergent metrics like age of information, positioning, and end-to-end energy efficiency are becoming increasingly relevant. For instance, the vision for future industrial applications demands an E2E reliability of up to $1-10^{-7}$ and E2E latencies as low as 1 ms. Furthermore, the integration and interoperability across heterogeneous networks become pivotal as 6G aims to offer a more agile, efficient, and seamless communication infrastructure.

Potential Enabling Technologies

The adaptation of existing technologies and the development of novel ones are crucial to meet these rigorous requirements. The paper explores several technology enablers, including:

• Holistic MTC Network Architecture: Aimed at maximizing resource utilization, this architecture supports dynamic orchestration across multiple heterogeneous networks, facilitated by technology-agnostic interfaces.
• Energy Efficient MTC Devices: Devices necessitate ultra-low power receivers, enhanced energy harvesting, and zero-energy communication schemes to support massive deployments sustainably.
• Global Massively Scalable MTC: Achieving global coverage requires harmonized frequency regulations and integration with non-terrestrial networks like low-Earth orbit satellites and high-altitude platforms.
• Mission-Critical MTC: 6G systems should provide dependable service quality with a special focus on resource awareness and efficiency to handle event-driven and emergency MTC.
• Privacy and Security for MTC: As these networks grow, they pose challenges in maintaining secure and private communications, particularly through group-based lightweight authentication strategies and the use of post-quantum cryptography.

Conclusion

Towards 2030, the evolution of MTC is not merely an extension of existing networks but necessitates innovative approaches to meet new and more stringent requirements. This white paper posits that while 5G networks provide a foundation, future 6G networks must accommodate a range of service classes and optimizations, promoting the digital transformation of society. As MTC becomes the backbone of 6G, collaboration between academia, industry, and regulatory bodies is imperative to create a robust framework for future network designs. Such collaboration will also foster the development of standards crucial for global harmonization and seamless cross-domain communication. Future efforts will undoubtedly fuel both theoretical exploration and practical implementations that push the limits of what is conceivable with wireless communication platforms.