Nokia, Docomo, NTT implement AI & ML for 6G radio, conduct trial using sub-THz frequency

Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia, NTT Docomo, and NTT have made joint progress towards the sixth-generation, or 6G technology, including the demonstration of a proof-of-concept (PoC) using sub-THz frequency.

A joint statement Wednesday said that the companies have implemented artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the radio air interface which will enable 6G radios to “learn”, and the utilization of the new sub-terahertz (sub-THz) spectrum to improve network capacity.

By pairing an “AI-based learned waveform in a transmitter with a deep-learning receiver”, researchers at Nokia Bell Labs, Docomo, and NTT were able to design and implement a learning air interface that is able to transmit data efficiently under various scenarios, the statement noted.

It claimed that this AI/ML-based implementation “significantly reduces signaling overhead, producing up to a 30% improvement” in throughput.

In addition, the AI-native air interface will grant 6G networks the flexibility to adapt to the type of connection demanded by an application, device, or user. Its application, for instance, can be in factories where the network can be optimized for industrial sensors and then be reconfigured for other purposes such as for robotic systems or video surveillance. In the public network, an AI-enhanced network can provide an optimized connection for a pedestrian in an XR session as well as an emergency vehicle traveling at high speed.

The sub-THz bands (100GHz and above) have not been designated for cellular use due to their propagation characteristics, but technologies such as beamforming could open up those frequencies to future 6G networks.

In their proof-of-concept, Nokia, Docomo and NTT claimed they were able to demonstrate a 25Gbps connection on a single 256QAM stream over a carrier frequency of 144 GHz using beamforming.

“We are delighted to announce the steady progress of two key technologies toward 6G as achievements of the collaboration with NTT and Nokia started in June 202,” said Takehiro Nakamura, Chief Technology Architect, Docomo.

“For the 6G era, we are using communication as a starting point. Networks will think, sense and act, and they will become the nexus point that bridges our digital and physical realities,” said Peter Vetter, President of Bell Labs Core Research, Nokia.