one6G at HUDDLE 2024

On April 17-18, 2024, one6G representatives attended the Wireless World Research Forum’s HUDDLE 2024 in Berlin, Germany. As always, WWRF’s Huddle provided a collaborative platform for leading policymakers, connectivity and service providers, researchers, and other key stakeholders from around the world who came together to discuss the work on the path to 6G. Moving away from discussions that usually focused on the opportunities that 6G can provide in areas of security, sustainability, inclusivity, and digital transformation, this year’s HUDDLE titled “Implementing the 6G Framework | Terrestrial and Beyond” looked more concretely at how objectives in the key areas can be delivered. The event covered six main themes, namely Goals & Targets for 6G; Non-terrestrial Networks; Emerging Technologies; Sustainability through 6G; Security & Privacy; and Evolving Business & Investment Models.

In addition to attending the event and following its rich program, one6G’s WG1 Chair, Prof. Mohammad Shikh-Bahaei from King’s College London participated in Session 4: Driving Sustainability through 6G as an invited speaker. The session covered a wide array of talking points, trying to answer the following questions:

• There is a lot of talk about ensuring that sustainability remains central to 6G. What does this actually mean in concrete terms across environmental, social, and economic sustainability domains?
• In what areas can this happen, and what should be the targets to make sure that 6G delivers on its potential to drive sustainability forward?
• How should the way in which 6G networks are built differ from previous generations to minimise their environmental footprint whilst also optimising performance?
• How are technology advancements, energy-saving solutions, and intelligent management already being applied to reduce energy consumption of networks and how can the emergence of 6G further continue this trend? What role can AI play in this?
• What impact can 6G have on driving sustainability in key industries, such as transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and more?
• How can we ensure that sustainability, users, and society are kept at the heart of 6G development throughout its development journey?

The session was a great success, having generated a lively discussion among the invited speakers.