6G System

Description

6GS (6G System) refers to the complete end-to-end system architecture for the sixth generation of mobile communications, studied in 3GPP Release 20 under TR 22.870. It encompasses the core network, service-based architecture (SBA), management and orchestration, security, and the integration of new capabilities such as AI, sensing, and compute. While 6GR focuses on the radio access technology, 6GS defines how all components of the 6G network interact to deliver services and meet requirements. The 6GS study in TR 22.870 provides the service requirements and architectural considerations that will guide the development of 6G specifications.

Architecturally, 6GS is expected to evolve from the 5G core (5GC) service-based architecture, which introduced modular network functions (NFs) that communicate via service-based interfaces (SBIs). In 6GS, this paradigm will be extended to support new functions such as AI/ML model management, sensing data processing, and compute offloading. The core network will become more distributed and dynamic, leveraging edge computing and cloud-native principles to deliver services with low latency and high reliability. Network slicing will continue to be a cornerstone, enabling customized logical networks for different verticals with guaranteed SLAs.

A key aspect of 6GS is the integration of communication, sensing, computation, and AI. This convergence requires new network functions and interfaces. For example, an AI orchestrator may manage the lifecycle of machine learning models across the network, while a sensing function collects and processes data from radio and non-radio sensors. The 6GS architecture will also support native non-terrestrial networks (NTN), integrating satellite and aerial platforms as part of the core network to provide global coverage. This requires new mobility management, session management, and QoS mechanisms that can handle the unique characteristics of NTN, such as high latency and dynamic topology.

Security and privacy are foundational to 6GS. The architecture will incorporate quantum-safe cryptography, privacy-preserving AI, and zero-trust principles. It will also address new threat vectors introduced by the convergence of technologies, such as adversarial attacks on AI models and sensing data spoofing. The 6GS study in TR 22.870 identifies security requirements and potential architectural solutions to ensure trustworthiness.

Energy efficiency and sustainability are also central to 6GS. The architecture will be designed to minimize energy consumption through intelligent resource management, energy harvesting, and the use of renewable energy sources. This includes optimizing the placement of network functions, dynamic scaling of resources, and energy-aware scheduling. The 6GS study evaluates the trade-offs between performance, complexity, and energy consumption to define a sustainable system architecture.

Purpose & Motivation

6GS exists to define a holistic system architecture that can deliver the diverse and demanding services envisioned for 6G. While 5G introduced a flexible service-based core, it was not designed to natively integrate sensing, AI, and compute, nor to support the extreme performance targets of 6G. 6GS aims to create a unified platform that seamlessly combines these capabilities, enabling new business models and use cases. The motivation is to move beyond connectivity as a service to a comprehensive digital platform that can support immersive experiences, autonomous systems, and real-time digital twins.

Historically, the evolution of core networks has followed a path from circuit-switched to packet-switched, then to service-based architectures. The 5G core was a major shift, introducing network slicing, edge computing, and control-user plane separation. However, 5G still treats AI, sensing, and compute as add-ons rather than native components. 6GS will integrate these from the ground up, making them intrinsic to the architecture. This requires new design principles, such as AI-native networking, where machine learning is embedded in every layer, and compute-aware networking, where the network can route tasks to the optimal compute resource.

The creation of 6GS is also driven by the need for global coverage and inclusivity. 5G deployment has been primarily in urban areas, leaving rural and remote regions underserved. 6GS will leverage non-terrestrial networks to provide ubiquitous connectivity, ensuring that the benefits of 6G are available everywhere. This requires a core network that can seamlessly integrate satellite and aerial platforms, managing mobility and QoS across heterogeneous access technologies. The 6GS study in TR 22.870 lays the groundwork for these architectural innovations, ensuring that 3GPP can deliver a coherent and standardized 6G system.