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NextG Vision

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10/4/2021

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 A Vision for NextG Networks and Systems: a view from the National Science Foundation

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Dr. Thyaga Nandagopal

Deputy Division Director

Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS)

Directorate of Computer Information Science and Engineering (CISE)

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National Science Foundation

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NextG Vision

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The G’s

2G

1987

Circuit voice

Mobile Telephony

3G

1998

Circuit voice + packet data

Blackberry

4G

2008

packet voice + data

Smartphones

5G

2018

Data

Killer App?

NextG

2028?

Data?

Killer App?

1G

1979

Analog voice

Mobile Telephony

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Advancing wireless research:��the role of NSF�(past)

NSF-funded research enabling today’s 5G networks:

    • Three-tier CBRS spectrum sharing
      • (CNS-0831791 & CNS-0831762)
    • Use of Millimeter-wave spectrum for 5G
      • (IIP-0933985, CNS-1320472 & ECCS-1555332)
    • 5G Network Architecture (CNS-1317153)
    • Massive MIMO Advances
      • (CNS-1012921 & CNS-1405937)
    • Software-defined networks (CNS-0832820)
    • Building out NSFNET, Internet2, and enabling companies like Qualcomm and Google.
    • … among others!

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Advancing wireless research:��the role of NSF�(present)

  • $100M annually and increasing, on average

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  • Foundational R&D
    • Core research, Cross-Programs
    • One-to-one Partnerships (e.g., DARPA, Intel, VMware)
    • Multi-sector partnerships

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  • Testing infrastructure
    • Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (https://beyond5g.org)

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  • International Partnerships
    • Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Japan, S. Korea

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  • Center-Scale Activities
    • 3 Centers with $20M+ investments

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Advancing wireless research:��What comes after 5G?

The views expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent the views of the National Science Foundation, and should not be construed as such.

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NextG �is much �more than 6G

Not just cellular, not just wireless, not a single set of standards

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NextG is about:

  • Convergence
    • Wired and wireless, communications and sensing, het nets (6G, satellite, WiFi), compute and comms (mobile edge computing), software-driven communication systems
  • Spectrum sharing
    • Repurpose bands for optimal use, better sharing with trust
  • Resilience
    • Reliability, Adaptability and Security
  • Ultra-low latency
    • Enabling new novel applications
  • Wider broadband reach
    • low-cost backhaul, lowering cost of access, rural broadband
  • Intelligence

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Convergence

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High-speed, low-latency

networks, Cloud Computing

Urban, dense

connections

LEO/MEO/GEO

Satellites, Cellular,

WiFi, LoRA/NB-IoT

Rural, satellite/cellular integration,

diverse backhaul, Mobile Edge computing, remote sensing

Software-driven

Autonomous

Actuation-focused

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NextG Vision

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Spectrum (RF/non-RF)

(300 MHz - 6 GHz, 6 -15 GHz, > 20 GHz)

5G/Cellular

Mobile Broadband

Wide-area Coverage

WiFi

Connectivity Fabric

No more wires

Sensing

Radar/

Active Sensing

Natural Phenomena Monitoring/

Passive Sensing

Other Uses

Power Transfer

Land/Water/Space

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Spectrum Sharing:��Where we are today?

  • Fixed frequency assignments (set largely many years/decades ago)
  • Unlicensed spectrum bands (largely governed by Part 15 FCC rules)
  • Shared use in 3.5 GHz

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  • Wired Communications Analogy:
    • Dedicated circuits
    • Ethernet
    • On-demand shared circuits
  • -circa 1993

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A Spectrum Commons Future for NextG

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Imagine:

A set of unlicensed and unrestricted frequencies (spanning low-, mid- and high-bands)

Devices can self-identify the desired swath of frequencies and power levels to get their data transmitted, enabling ultra-low latency access

Self-aware networks – ‘learn on the fly’

Highly resilient

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Resilience

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Resilient NextG Systems

Hardware: RF and Mixed Signal Circuits, Antennas and Components

Algorithms: Spectrum sharing, Resource optimization and management

Device-to-Edge-to-Cloud

Applications: Augmented Reality and others that merge physical/virtual

Adaptability

End-to-End Security

Autonomy

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Ultra-Reliable�Low-Latency�Communications

  • Human perception of latency: > 20 ms
  • End-to-end communication latency today is impacted by many factors beyond speed-of-light
    • Application to network latency
    • Medium access latency
    • Content scanning/Deep Packet Inspection
    • Packet copying
    • Routing lookups
    • Photon 🡨🡪 electron translation latencies
  • URLLC: < 20 ms round trip time
  • Need guaranteed delay bounds (or with high probability)
  • Jitter bounds are essential
  • Not for human-human alone, but human-machine and machine-machine as well

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  • Software-defined networking (SDN) ecosystems
  • AI/ML for networking, spectrum sensing and access
  • Enabling 6G and beyond systems (massive MIMO, mmWave)
  • Mobile Edge computing
  • Advanced wireless sensing, joint sensing/communication
  • Free-space optical networks
  • Large-scale MIMO
  • Advanced duplexing
  • Wireless measurements
  • Long-distance high-BW links

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NextG Vision

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  • Quantum networks
  • THz networking (new radio approaches)
  • “Self-driving” networks
  • Repeatable and verifiable research
  • Holographic calls
  • Tactile Internet
  • Flying networks

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  • Fully programmable protocol stacks
  • Ultra-low latency wireless links
  • Ubiquitous wireless access
  • Extremely low-power designs
  • Zero-trust networking
  • Meta-materials and intelligent surfaces
  • “Security-by-design” and resilience
  • On-demand spectrum sharing and access
  • Widely tunable front ends.
  • Energy efficient waveforms
  • Intra-satellite communications
  • Low-cost hybrid backhaul/fronthaul

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�Mid-term

�Near Term

�Long-term

Example topics of interest

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Platforms for advanced wireless research

  • Salt Lake City (POWDER-RENEW) – Dynamic Spectrum, Massive MIMO, IoT
    • Ready to use now: https://powderwireless.net
  • New York City (COSMOS) – Millimeter-wave, dynamic optical switching
    • Ready to use now: https://cosmos-lab.org
  • Raleigh (AERPAW) – Drones, vehicular mobility, millimeter-wave
    • Ready to use from Oct 2021: https://aerpaw.org
  • Ames (ARA) - Rural Broadband, diverse backhaul, smart agriculture
    • Available in April 2022: https://arawireless.org/

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NextG Vision

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PAWR Testbeds

FABRIC Network (Nationwide)

COSMOS (NYC)

AERPAW (Raleigh, NC)

POWDER (Salt Lake City)

Colosseum (Boston)

RENEW (Houston)

ARA (Ames, IA)

Platforms for Advanced

Wireless Research (PAWR)

https://www.advancedwireless.org

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Getting ready for NextG

  • Step away from the 5G roadmap
    • NextG is going to be radically different
      • Not just the way 2G was different from 1G, and 4G was different from 3G
    • Faster, Denser and Quicker – yes.
    • Convergent and unique as well
  • Remember: what is now 5G started research around 2007 – 2009

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Conclusion:

  • Start work on these problems now
  • Don’t worry about standards or product roadmap
  • Think broader

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Thank you!��Reach the NSF team working to enable NextG: �cns-core@nsf.gov��Program Team:�Alex Sprintson�Murat Torlak�Ann von Lehmen�Deep Medhi�Darleen Fisher

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Come work for the team:  

https://beta.nsf.gov/careers/openings/cise/cns/cns-2021-7680

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https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/615205300

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