Page 9 - ITU Journal Future and evolving technologies Volume 2 (2021), Issue 6 – Wireless communication systems in beyond 5G era

ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 2 (2021), Issue 6

LIST OF ABSTRACTS

Why do we need 6G?

Pages 1–31
Riccardo Bassoli, Frank H.P. Fitzek, Emilio Calvanese Strinati

The study and design of 5G seems to have reached its end and 5G communication systems are currently
under deployment. In parallel, 5G standardization is as Release 16, which is going to complete the
definition and the design guidelines of the 5G radio access network. Because of that, the interest of the
scientific and industrial communities has already started focusing on the future 6G communication
networks. The preliminary definition of future technology trends towards 2030, given by major
standardization bodies, and the flagship 6G projects worldwide have started proposing various visions
about what 6G will be. Side by side, various scientific articles, addressing the initial characterisation of
6G, have also been published. However, considering the promises of 5G, can 6G represent a significant
technological advancement to justify a so-called new generation? In fact, now, 5G softwarized networks
may just imply continuous network software upgrades (as it happens for the Internet) instead of new
generations every ten years. This article starts describing the main characteristics that made 5G a
breakthrough in telecommunications, also briefly introducing the network virtualisation and computing
paradigms that have reformed telecommunications. Next, by providing rigorous definition of the
terminology and a survey of the principal 6G visions proposed, the paper tries to establish important
motivations and characteristics that can really justify the need for and the novelty of future 6G
communication networks.
View Article

Deep extended feedback codes

Pages 33–51
Anahid Robert Safavi, Alberto G. Perotti, Branislav M. Popovic, Mahdi Boloursaz Mashhadi, Deniz
Gündüz

A new Deep Neural Network (DNN)-based error correction encoder architecture for channels with
feedback, called Deep Extended Feedback (DEF), is presented in this paper. The encoder in the DEF
architecture transmits an information message followed by a sequence of parity symbols which are
generated based on the message as well as the observations of the past forward channel outputs sent to
the transmitter through a feedback channel. DEF codes generalize Deepcode in several ways: parity
symbols are generated based on forward channel output observations over longer time intervals in order
to provide better error correction capability; and high-order modulation formats are deployed in the
encoder so as to achieve increased spectral efficiency. Performance evaluations show that DEF codes
have better performance compared to other DNN-based codes for channels with feedback.
View Article

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