6G may usher in merged reality, bring in senses in digital communication

Industry standards for 6G are yet to be written, but it may extend beyond audio and visual communication, says MAGNUS EWERBRING, chief technology officer for Asia-Pacific at Ericsson, in an interview with Subhayan Chakraborty. He explains that the standalone architecture (SA) of 5G unleashes its full potential by enabling network slicing, which operators are increasingly embracing as Ericsson begins rolling out updates for 5G Advanced. Edited excerpts:

- MAGNUS EWERBRING

Do we have a glimpse of what some of the major use cases for 6G might be?

I have a vision. Our research teams are exploring the area of merged reality, or the internet of the senses, which encompasses communication beyond the audiovisual context. Today, we rely on sound and video for communication. But what if, in the future, you could reach out with your hand and feel the body temperature of the person you're talking to? Or if you're shopping online, you could feel the texture of the fabric? Imagine researching a vacation online and being able to smell the local food. We are collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US on fabric that can sense pressure.

Last year at IMC, we showcased a sweater that can sense how you move. Meanwhile, we are studying the possibility of an Internet of Things (IoT) device in 6G that operates without a battery and charges itself through radio waves. We've created a prototype. Perhaps this could be commercially available by 2035, but we cannot be certain.