6G Advanced Communication and Sensing: Essential Enabling Technologies, Issues, and Challenges

Abstract

The impending sixth generation (6G) of wireless communication technology is set to transform the digital world by combining improved communication and sensor capabilities. It will allow for ultra-reliable, high-speed data transfers, huge networking, and seamless integration of intelligent devices and applications. This confluence will pave the way for future applications including holographic telepresence, extended reality (XR), autonomous systems, and digital twins. Terahertz (THz) communication, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), AI-driven networking, quantum communication, and edge computing are all critical 6G enablers. These technologies strive to meet the rapidly increasing demand for data throughput, dependability, and latency requirements while also providing extremely accurate and efficient sensing capabilities. Furthermore, breakthroughs in non-terrestrial networks (NTN), blockchain-based security frameworks, and novel antenna designs would be required for broad 6G implementation. Despite this promise, 6G development and implementation confront considerable obstacles. These include technological difficulties like as overcoming high route loss in THz bands, creating energy-efficient designs, and dealing with spectrum scarcity. With widespread data generation and networking, security and privacy problems grow in importance. In addition, there are governmental and societal difficulties, such as standardization, ethical concerns about data usage, and the potential digital gap caused by uneven access to 6G infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to investigate the essential technologies that will power 6G communication and sensing systems, identify the primary barriers to adoption, and describe the multifarious problems that must be overcome in order to achieve a robust, secure, and inclusive 6G ecosystem