NTT Docomo launches ‘6G Harmonized Intelligence Project’

By Juan Pedro Tomás October 14, 2024

Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20241014/featured/ntt-docomo-launches-6g-harmonized-intelligence-project

NTT Docomo noted that this initiative marks the first step in realizing its vision of 6G as a ‘network for AI’

Japanese telco NTT Docomo has launched a new project, dubbed ‘6G Harmonized Intelligence,’ aimed at advancing the future of 6G communications technology.

In a release, the company noted that this initiative marks the first step in realizing its vision of 6G as a ‘network for AI.’

Unlike conventional communication technologies like 4G and 5G, which are primarily used by people via smartphones, 6G will aim to create a ‘network for AI.’ This new network is expected to enable AI and robots to operate at their full potential by processing large amounts of data in real-time and providing instant feedback, the Japanese telco said.

Additionally, Docomo states that 6G will introduce values like ‘sustainability’ that were not a focus in previous generations like 5G. The company envisions 6G as not just a technological evolution, but as a critical tool for building a sustainable and efficient society.

NTT Docomo identifies five key values for 6G: Sustainability, Efficiency, Customer Experience, Network for AI and Connectivity Everywhere. Through its 6G Harmonized Intelligence Project (6GHI PJ), the telco plans to explore new concepts, use cases and services in collaboration with AI and robotics experts. The project will also focus on developing innovations in devices, networks and UI/UX, shaping how next-generation communication technologies can benefit society.

The 6G project will bring together three specialists, including the head of the R&D Center for Digital Nature at the University of Tsukuba, to develop a concrete and achievable vision for 6G. NTT Docomo anticipates that this collaboration will lead to innovative solutions that maximize the potential of 6G.

NTT Docomo is currently focusing on demonstration tests and standardization efforts for 5G evolution and 6G technology with the aim of achieving a combination of advances in connectivity, including ultra-high speed, large capacity and low latency, the telco recently told RCR Wireless News.

With these tests and standardization efforts, NTT Docomo also said it aims to pioneer the use of new frequency bands, including terahertz frequencies, expand communication coverage in the sky, at sea and in space, provide ultra-low-energy and ultra-low-cost communications as well as achieve the capability of massive device-connectivity and sensing.

“In particular, Docomo is driving R&D in cutting-edge non-terrestrial network (NTN) technologies that best combine GEO, LEO, and HAPS. Geostationary orbit satellites (GEO), low-earth orbit satellites (LEO), and high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) have been used so far for communication, but while GEO and LEO cover wide areas, they tend to have relatively long one-way propagation times,” the telco said.

Commenting on plans for 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology, NTT Docomo highlighted that the company has been continuously enhancing 5G network evolution with 5G-A, adding that a key focus of the company is to improve uplink communication performance. “These improvements are essential to meeting the diverse demands of industrial applications, including high-reliability communication technologies and guaranteed communication quality,” the company said. “5G-Advanced brings several critical enhancements that allow for more reliable and higher throughput uplink communication, which is especially vital for industrial use cases where large amounts of data must be uploaded in real time. In addition to uplink performance improvements, 5G-Advanced incorporates innovations such as massive MIMO technology for handling greater data volumes and the use of AI/ML technologies to optimize network performance.”