Juyeon Song, a researcher at Samsung Electronics, has been appointed to lead the 6G Spectrum Drafting Group within the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Conference Preparatory Group for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (APG-27). Representing South Korea, Song was elected chair following a competitive process involving candidates from six other countries — reaffirming the global leadership of both Korea and Samsung in shaping the future of 6G technology.

APT is an intergovernmental organization that promotes the development of information and communication technology across the Asia-Pacific region by coordinating the shared interests and policy directions of its member countries. Operating under APT, the APT Conference Preparatory Group (APG) enables the region to respond collectively to the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).¹

Scheduled for October 2027, WRC-27 is expected to identify the new 6G spectrum bands. Song will play a pivotal role in aligning the perspectives of the 38 APT member countries to develop a unified proposal on 6G spectrum bands. Her efforts will also support the broader goal of securing favorable outcomes for the Asia-Pacific region at WRC-27.

Previously, Song served as chair of the 5G Vision Group for the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), where she led the development of the global vision for 5G mobile communications. She later played a key role in the 5G standardization process as vice chair of Study Group 5 (SG 5), ITU-R’s terrestrial services group. With her latest appointment, she will oversee 6G spectrum discussions across the Asia-Pacific region. This reinforces Samsung’s leadership in 6G and provides a strategic advantage in securing mid-band spectrum — critical for expanding the company’s presence in the mobile communications market.

Since 2019, Samsung has accelerated its 6G technology research through the establishment of its Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC). In parallel, the company has articulated its vision for next-generation mobile communications by publishing the 6G White Paper and 6G Spectrum White Paper. Building on Samsung’s existing leadership in standardization through the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Song’s new role in the 6G spectrum domain highlights the company’s expanding influence in next-generation communications. Looking ahead, Samsung plans to take a strategic approach across key areas such as technology development, global standardization and spectrum acquisition as it prepares for the 6G era.

¹ Held every four years by the International Telecommunication Union, the World Radiocommunication Conference is the highest decision-making body in the field of radiocommunications — responsible for determining global frequency allocation and usage policies. Due to its significance, it is often referred to as the “Olympics of spectrum.”

Since 2020, Samsung Electronics has played a pioneering role in advancing next-generation communication technologies through active participation in international standardization efforts. This includes the publication of its 6G white papers and securing of key positions in major organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). At the May 2025 3GPP elections, Samsung secured additional leadership positions, reaffirming its distinct standing at the forefront of the industry.

To shine a light on this progress, Samsung Newsroom is launching an interview series with the leaders of the company’s communications business, which will introduce the current state of next-generation communications technology research and global standardization efforts. In part one of the Communications Leadership Interview series, the Newsroom sat down with Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research, to discuss the current landscape and future outlook of 6G standardization, as well as Samsung’s strategies and vision.

▲ Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research

International Standards for Seamless Communication Across Borders

Today, using our own smartphones to access roaming services while traveling abroad is something we often take for granted. This is a convenience that has only become truly seamless through the invisible promise of international standards — born from the collaboration of countless companies and experts around the world.

“Common protocols are essential for products and services from different companies to work together seamlessly,” explained Han. “In the mobile communications industry, where a diverse range of players — including smartphone manufacturers, network equipment vendors, telecom operators and semiconductor companies — are involved, standardization is an indispensable element. It plays a key role in uniting the world into a single market.”

Standardization serves as the backbone that drives the global communications industry toward a unified direction. “At technological inflection points like the transition to 6G, the importance of industry-wide discussions and consensus on standards becomes even greater,” Han emphasized.

Global Collaboration Driving 6G Standardization

How does global standardization actually function? Unlike initiatives driven by a single entity, global telecommunications standardization is built on a clear, step-by-step framework of collaboration. Two key players in this process are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU¹) and the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP²).

“The ITU sets the direction for each new generation of communication technology, and based on that blueprint, the 3GPP works with global companies to define the technical details and carry out the standardization process,” explained Han.

▲ Overview of ITU and 3GPP

Global 6G standardization has now entered its launch phase. Following preliminary discussions on 6G technology directions that began in 2021, ITU-R officially announced the recommended framework for 6G standardization in November 2023. With the goal of finalizing 6G technical specifications by 2030, 3GPP plans to develop and propose a range of candidate technologies.

“3GPP took its first step toward 6G standardization by hosting a workshop in Korea this March,” explained Han. “6G study items were approved during its plenary meeting in June, and starting in the second half of this year, detailed technical discussions will begin within its Working Groups (WGs).”

▲ Key milestones and objectives of the ITU and 3GPP by year

The standardization of 6G is a shared journey in which the world works together toward a common goal. As standardization efforts gain momentum, companies worldwide are moving quickly to position their technologies within this framework, ensuring interoperability while developing solutions that meet market demands.

Samsung’s 6G Leadership: Driving Consensus Amid Fierce Competition

Countries and companies around the world are participating in discussions on next-generation communications standardization, each taking on specific roles. This process demands forward-looking leadership capable of both steering technological development and harmonizing diverse viewpoints—a role where Samsung Electronics has emerged as a central figure, simultaneously advancing innovation while building industry consensus.

Standardization is a continuous process marked by fierce competition among countless global stakeholders that aim to secure a lead in standards by having their own technologies incorporated. In this complex landscape, Samsung has consistently been elected to leadership positions within groups, earning recognition for its neutrality, credibility and coordination capabilities

“Samsung chaired the ITU-R’s 6G Vision Group, helping to establish the initial global vision for 6G and contributing to the design of its early roadmap,” explained Han. “We’re also leading discussions within 3GPP by serving as chairs and vice chairs across various technical groups, steering the direction of standardization.”

Currently, Samsung Electronics holds a total of eight chair and vice-chair positions across 3GPP’s key Technical Specification Groups (TSGs). Han added, “In particular, the Radio Access Network (RAN) and System Architecture (SA) WG2 groups, where Samsung serves as chair, are central to shaping the structure and direction of 6G technologies. These groups are at the core of industry-wide technical discussions and the fact that Samsung chairs them is a testament to our influence.”

Samsung is also laying a solid technological foundation for standardization discussions through its pioneering research activities across various core 6G technologies. Since standardization only holds real value when it is backed by concrete technologies and practical feasibility, Samsung’s technological competitiveness contributes to making these discussions more effective.

“3GPP chairs are responsible for guiding discussions according to the timeline, while mediating and resolving various conflicts that arise during the standardization process,” Han explained. “Holding a significant number of chair positions is a clear sign that the mobile communications industry recognizes our technological capabilities and leadership.”

Key Focus Areas for Next-Generation 6G Research

As technical discussions within 3GPP begin in earnest this year, Samsung is concentrating its research on the core technologies necessary for 6G commercialization. At the heart of these discussions are three key phrases: AI integration, enhanced energy efficiency, and strengthened security.

“6G should deliver user-perceivable improvements, not just faster speeds or higher quality,” noted Han. “By applying AI technologies to network operations, we can automate complex processes while simultaneously reducing operational costs and improving service quality.”

“From the increasingly critical perspective of security and privacy, Samsung is also focusing on building safer communication systems while increasing system flexibility to easily and rapidly incorporate new services,” he added.

As we approach the 6G era — where technologies and services will connect seamlessly across national borders — international cooperation and coordination are more important than ever. In this evolving landscape, Samsung Electronics continues to play a leading role in shaping the global conversation on next-generation connectivity.

In part two of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore the 6G standardization roadmap, key focus technologies and Samsung’s role as chair of the 3GPP TSG RAN, providing a closer look at the forefront of next-generation communications discussions.

¹ Short for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations specialized agency dedicated to advancing information and communication technologies (ICT) and networks. Its work includes allocating radio frequencies, establishing technical standards, and supporting developing countries, while playing a vital role in fostering international cooperation in the global ICT sector.
² Short for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, an international collaborative initiative established to develop standards for mobile communication technologies. It primarily develops globally applicable specifications for mobile communication systems, including radio access networks, services and systems, core networks, and mobile devices.

▲ (From left) Rajavelsamy Rajadurai and Lixiang Xu

Samsung Electronics has secured new chair and vice-chair positions in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the world’s largest telecommunications standards organization.

Established in 1998, 3GPP develops global mobile communications standards with participation from major companies and organizations including Samsung, Qualcomm, Apple, Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei. The international body consists of three Technical Specification Groups (TSGs) — Service and System Aspects (SA), Radio Access Network (RAN) and Core Network and Terminals (CT) — each overseeing four to six Working Groups (WGs) for a total of 15 WGs across the organization.

Rajavelsamy Rajadurai, Principal Architect at Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore (SRI–B), has been elected chair of 3GPP’s Service and System Aspects Working Group 3 (SA WG3). Meanwhile, Lixiang Xu, Principal Engineer at Samsung R&D Institute China-Beijing (SRC-B), has been elected vice chair of 3GPP’s Radio Access Network Working Group 3 (RAN WG3). SA WG3 defines standards related to network security and user privacy, whereas RAN WG3 develops base station interface protocol technologies. 

In March, Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Research, was elected chair of 3GPP’s Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network (TSG RAN) — leading standardization across all areas of wireless technology including the physical layer, protocol aspects and radio resource control.

With these latest appointments, Samsung now holds three chair positions (SA WG2, SA WG3 and TSG RAN) and five vice-chair positions (SA WG4, SA WG6, RAN WG2, RAN WG3 and CT WG3) within 3GPP.

Beginning in the second half of 2025, 3GPP will initiate research into 6G technologies. SA WG3 plans to explore security enhancements to counter cyberattacks, including those from quantum computers, and to develop privacy protection technologies for mobile communications networks. RAN WG3 is expected to research AI-powered solutions to reduce energy consumption at base stations and improve service quality. These groups are positioned to play a crucial role in advancing the use of AI, strengthening security and promoting sustainability — all key focus areas in the development of 6G.

Through its expanded leadership within 3GPP, Samsung has established a framework to help drive standards across the mobile industry and collaborate with partners to shape the future of next-generation communications.

▲ Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Research

Samsung Electronics today announced that it has secured a leadership position at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the world’s largest telecommunications standard development organization.

During the plenary meeting held in Incheon on March 12, Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics, was elected as Chair of 3GPP Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network (TSG RAN),¹ which is responsible for standardizing all aspects of wireless technology, such as the physical layer, protocol aspects and radio resource control.

“I believe that my election as chair is further recognition of Samsung’s leadership in mobile communication technology,” said Dr. Kim. “6G standardization involves more than just solving technical issues; it is a collaborative effort requiring participation from all companies and organizations in the mobile communication sector. I will make every effort to successfully lead 3GPP’s TSG RAN and advance the standardization of 6G.”

Since its establishment in 1998, 3GPP has led the development of global mobile communication technology standards with participation from major telecommunications companies and organizations worldwide, including Samsung, Apple, Qualcomm, Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia.

In May 2021, Dr. Kim was elected Chair of 3GPP Radio Access Network Working Group 1 (RAN WG1), which is the largest working group within 3GPP and responsible for developing physical layer specifications for 3GPP radio access technologies. Over the past four years, Dr. Kim has successfully led the standardization of 5G physical layer technology, significantly contributing to the emergence of the 5G network industry.

Through Dr. Kim’s expanded role as Chair of 3GPP TSG RAN starting in May, Samsung will be able to contribute to the standardization of 6G, the next generation of mobile communication technology.

Dr. Kim’s appointment to the chair position of the Technical Specification Group is viewed as a recognition of Samsung’s contributions and technological leadership in the mobile communication industry.

The company currently holds two chair positions in RAN WG1 and SA WG2, as well as four vice-chair positions in RAN WG2, SA WG4, SA WG6 and CT WG3. With Dr. Kim’s election as Chair of 3GPP TSG RAN, Samsung Electronics will maintain the industry’s highest number of chair positions within 3GPP, even after the RAN WG1 chair term expires, solidifying its pivotal role among over 800 member companies.

The advancement of mobile communication systems is now at a turning point. It must not only enhance transmission speeds but also drive 6G standardization with a focus on new values. 3GPP plans to launch research on 6G in the second half of this year.

6G aims to achieve future-oriented and sustainable advancements in mobile communication technology, including improving the energy efficiency of networks, enhancing network quality using AI and introducing security technologies to prevent attacks originating from quantum computers. At this critical milestone, Dr. Kim’s election as chair by the support from international mobile communication standards experts holds great significance.

Meanwhile, Samsung recently published a 6G White Paper titled, “AI-Native & Sustainable Communication” that outlines the latest trends and future of next-generation mobile communication technologies. It also highlights Samsung’s leadership in 6G research and other key technologies.

With its leadership in next-generation communication technology and Dr. Younsun Kim’s role as Chair of 3GPP, Samsung is expected to lead the standardization of 6G technology and make significant contributions to the advancement of the mobile communication industry overall.

¹ The 3GPP comprises three Technical Specification Groups (TSGs): Radio Access Network (RAN), Service and System Aspects (SA), and Core Network and Terminals (CT). Each TSG consists of 4–6 Working Groups (WGs), for a total of 15 working groups.

As AI technology expands across various industries and 6G communication becomes in earnest standardized, this collaboration aims to utilize the two companies’ extensive technical expertise and business knowledge to accelerate AI research in communications.

The partnership will not only improve network quality but also establish a foundation for the market’s transition into the 6G era.

The technology under research and development by both companies is poised to significantly enhance service quality for users and network operational efficiency for service providers.

Currently, communication quality optimization is conducted at the cell site level of mobile communication base stations. Moving forward, the goal is to achieve user-level optimization through the application of AI. For example, users entering areas between cell boundaries or areas with weak signals will be able to stream videos without interruptions and access more stable communication services.

“I believe this technological cooperation between the two companies will speed up AI-powered innovation in the telecom industry, and it will realize the common vision for future communications such as 6G,” said Takaaki Sato, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NTT DOCOMO.

“The joint research with NTT DOCOMO will play an integral role in developing AI technology for communication systems,” said Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, Chief Technology Officer at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research. “By merging the technical capabilities and expertise of both companies, we will create synergy for next-generation communication technologies.”

Samsung and NTT DOCOMO have a long history of collaboration in mobile communication technology standardization within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).¹ The companies intend to leverage this joint technology research as an opportunity to deepen their cooperation and continue to work together for the advancement of future communication technologies.

¹ 3GPP is dedicated to developing the global unified technical specifications for mobile communications.

Both sessions at the Forum featured talks from experts across academia and industry who specialize in next-generation communications technologies, and featured topics covering the present state and ambitious future of 6G.

Read on for Samsung Newsroom’s recap of the Forum and the areas of research that took center stage at the first-ever Samsung 6G Forum.

Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research, gives the opening speech at Samsung 6G Forum.

Sebastian Seung, President and Head of Samsung Research,¹ opened up the Forum by sharing Samsung’s vision for the next-generation of communications technologies. “We envision that 6G will provide the ultimate in experiences through the next level of hyper-connectivity, and this idea serves as the foundation of our 6G vision,” noted Seung. “We believe that it is the right time to start preparing for 6G. Shaping 6G will require many years, as we have seen with previous generations, and will need lots of discussion and collaboration among players in industry as well as academia.”

Setting the tone for the rest of the day, Seung went on to express his confidence in 6G’s potential to become a fundamental technology that drives a convergence of services between industries and will be ultra-wideband, ultra-low latency, ultra-intelligent and hyperspatial, as well as opening up whole new realm of connectivity.

6G Air Interface: Relentless Innovation of Wireless Technologies and United Efforts To Secure New Spectrum Opportunities

Jeffrey Andrews, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, delivers his keynote for the morning session of Samsung 6G Forum.

Opening up the morning session of the 6G Forum, Jeffrey Andrews, Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, delivered a keynote speech titled ‘Deep Learning in the 6G Air Interface’. This keynote saw Andrews focus on the role of machine learning in next-generation communication, including how 6G communication can improve the performance of air interface through deep learning as well as how more deeply-penetrated machine learning might be expected to transcend the current limits of 5G technologies. “In order to successfully apply machine learning to 6G as well as 5G, it is of course necessary for us to understand both wireless communications and machine learning fundamentals,” emphasized Professor Andrews. “It is essential for us to work together in order to make progress on this topic and do novel work.”

The keynote speech was followed by a series of in-depth expert talks, the first of which was given by Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President (SVP) at Samsung Research America and titled ‘Radio Technology Evolution for Beyond 5G and 6G’. SVP Zhang introduced the R&D progress for the possible wireless technologies of 6G communication and presented two new 6G spectrum opportunities that are currently being investigated: an upper mid-band of 7-24 GHz and an enormous sub-terahertz band of 92-300 GHz. “Both options provide us with a very good opportunity to find enough capacity for all these exciting 6G services,” noted SVP Zhang. He then also detailed how sub-terahertz band has been tested in the field by his team as well as introduced advanced duplex technology called XDD for coverage enhancement and innovations in distributed MIMO. He concluded with an enthusiastic reiteration of the value of cooperation, emphasizing the need for collaboration between institutions, companies and countries necessary to bring about future innovations.

Takehiro Nakamura, SVP and General Manager at NTT DOCOMO, delivers an online talk titled ‘5G Evolution and 6G’.

The second expert talk was given by Takehiro Nakamura, SVP and General Manager at NTT DOCOMO under the title of ‘5G Evolution and 6G’. As well as discussing the global growth seen recently into 5G and 6G research, SVP Nakamura expressed his opinions on performance improvement in the case of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) technology being applied in 5G and 6G communications. “6G networks can perform as human nerves,” detailed SVP Nakamura regarding the potential of IOWN technologies applied for 6G. “They can augment and extend human capabilities. If we can share body movement, the five senses and emotions through 6G networks, we can realize very interesting and exciting new services which were described as science fiction.”

John Smee, SVP of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., presents his talk at Samsung 6G Forum.

The third expert talk of the morning session was conducted by John Smee, SVP of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., on the topic of ‘Driving Air Interface Innovation Toward 6G’. SVP Smee carefully detailed how technological innovations will pave the path to a 6G world. “When we take a step back and imagine the world in 2030, it’s really about understanding changing the physical world and many different types of devices that we will have connected,” he explained. SVP Smee highlighted six key research vectors in particular: artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)-powered E2E communications, spectrum expansion and sharing, new radio designs, communications resiliency, scalable network architecture and the merging of worlds.

Juho Lee, Fellow at Samsung Research, leads a panel discussion around 6G RAN technology.

Following the presentations, Juho Lee, Fellow at Samsung Research, led a panel discussion on 6G RAN technology. The seven key themes addressed by the panel were the strengths of 6G over 5G, the killer applications for 6G, the relationship between 5G-Advanced and 6G, the performance requirements for 6G wireless technologies, the spectrum for 6G, wireless technologies for 6G and the potential of AI for air interfaces. “Securing new spectrum is one of the most important elements for research and development of the 6G air interface technology,” noted Lee. “Without the new spectrum, it will be difficult to build a next-generation system.”

Sunghyun Choi, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research shares Samsung’s latest 6G research results.

The morning session was then concluded by Sunghyun Choi, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research, who shared the most recent results of Samsung’s research into key 6G candidate technologies along with demonstration videos.

Intelligent Network for 6G: Native AI Support for Next-Generation Communications

The afternoon session commenced with a keynote speech from Tarik Taleb, Professor at University of Oulu, Finland, under the title of ‘6G Networking — The Journey Towards a Novel Vision of “Service of Services”’. In his keynote, Professor Taleb advocated for the use of AI, network function, virtualization, software-defined networking and edge/cloud computing in order to reduce expenditure and operational costs, and proposed that 6G should be viewed as a new service concept beyond next-generation communications. “I would like to share the view of this journey which I think is going to lead us to another vision of 6G as being a service of services, rather than what is known as 6G being a network of networks.”

Following the keynote, Seungjoo Maeng, Master at Samsung Electronics, gave a talk on ‘Challenges in Applying AI/ML Technology to Improve Performance of Mobile Communication Systems’. In his talk, Master Maeng highlighted some of the challenges that might arise when AI/ML technologies are applied to 6G, and went on to propose some potential solutions. Master Maeng also concluded that collaboration among experts is the key to solve the issues of applying AI/ML technologies to 6G: “Experts should work closely together to develop meaningful and efficient technologies,” he said. “Working together is the key for successful technology development.”

The next talk was given by Byonghyo Shim, Professor at Seoul National University, under the theme of ‘Deep Learning-Aided Mobile Detection and Beamforming for mmWave and THz Communications’. The talk presented a new paradigm for mmWave and THz communications based on deep learning (DL). “Down the road we’ll have more emerging applications, like AR, VR, XR and metaverse, to name just a few and they require further increase of data rate,” noted Professor Shim. “Deep learning would contribute for improving the performance of beamforming that is the essential technology for high frequency band used to increase the data rate when it comes to supporting emerging applications.”

The final talk of the day was given by Shi Jin, Professor at Southeast University, China. In his talk, titled ‘Deep Learning-based CSI Feedback in Massive MIMO Systems’, Professor Jin highlighted the challenges inherent to applying AI/ML technologies to massive MIMO systems as well as the ways that could solve them. “In the past 10 years, deep learning has achieved great success in many areas,” noted Professor Jin. “Inspired by this success, deep learning has been introduced in wireless communications and our work — deep learning-based CSI feedback — has become a popular topic in 6G research.”

Following the afternoon sessions’ talks, EVP Choi led a panel discussion on network AI that saw the Forum’s experts share their opinions on the way AI technologies are being investigated actively in 6G research and development. The participants also shared their thoughts on the research direction for AI in 6G on the topics of native AI, cost issues, interoperability, standardization of technologies for support of AI and reliable AI.

Tarik Taleb, Professor at University of Oulu, Finland, takes part in the Samsung 6G Forum’s afternoon panel discussion.

The panel discussion also saw the participants deal with the challenges surrounding the commercialization of 6G, their predictions for the future of AI/ML technologies in 6G and, more generally, what needs to be prepared for realizing 6G. “We need to define all the KPIs, accuracy and reliability of AI models in order to get into standardization of the technologies required for support of AI,” noted Professor Taleb, who also emphasized the need for digital twins and simulators for the benchmarking of AI models. Professor Shim also advocated for the importance of collaboration in this process, noting that: “in order to standardize the technologies required for truly using AI in 6G, cooperation based on consensus across companies is key.”

At the inaugural Samsung 6G Forum, the thoughts and experiences that were shared by experts around the current status and future of 6G provided a glimpse into the future of 6G that Samsung, along with industry experts, academics and partners, is working hard to realize. Stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for all the latest news on the next generation of communications technologies.

Key Takeaways From the Samsung 6G Forum’s Speakers

¹ Samsung Research, acting as Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, leads the development of future technologies for the company’s Device eXperience (DX) Division.

As anticipation and competition ramp up around the development of 6G technology, Samsung Electronics is set to hold its first-ever Samsung 6G Forum on May 13. Under the theme of ‘The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.’, leading global experts from academia and industry in the area of next-generation communications technologies will be discussing the future of those technologies that are set to drive significant changes.

In order to introduce some of the technologies being prepared by Samsung ahead of the upcoming Forum, Samsung Newsroom undertook a virtual roundtable with Samsung Research’s¹ leading experts in the field. Sunghyun Choi, Executive Vice President and Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research, and Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President at Samsung Research America, came together virtually to share some of their most recent research and breakthroughs within the 6G communications technologies, as well as what they anticipate the future of the field will look like. The virtual roundtable was moderated by Jaebum Park, researcher at Samsung Research’s 6G Research Team.

Read on to learn more about the groundbreaking work Samsung Research has been undertaking in order to prepare for the next generation of communications technologies.

Jaebum Park Welcome and thank you to both of you for joining this online roundtable. Firstly, as are all well aware, the competition surrounding the development of 6G technologies has steadily been increasing. After accomplishing the world’s first commercialization of 5G, Samsung is now working hard at its research and development (R&D) into 6G. Why is this 6G R&D so important?

Sunghyun Choi 6G is the next-generation communications technology that will bring huge changes to every aspect of our lives, as well as to various industries. It requires prolonged effort and investment to bring about. Samsung is striving to lead 6G R&D and standardization, with the goal of bringing next-level, hyper-connected experiences to our customers.

Park In July 2020, Samsung released a white paper entitled “The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.” which outlined the company’s vision for 6G. Can you tell us more about the technologies Samsung currently is working on to realize this vision?

Choi 6G is expected to be characterized by ultra-wideband, ultra-low latency, ultra-intelligence and hyper-spatialization. Unlike communications technologies of previous generations, 6G is expected to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) technology. To this end, Samsung is developing a range of innovative solutions; an AI based technology that reduces power consumption at base stations, and a technology that utilizes AI at the receiver to compensate the signal distortion caused by the nonlinearity of a transmitter’s power amplifier and hence, can significantly improve the coverage and quality of high-rate data signals were both recently developed, for example. We have also seen growing demand for greater coverage.

In response to these requirements, Samsung proposes considering all available bands for 6G, from low-band under 1 gigahertz (GHz) to mid-band in the 1-24 GHz range and through to high-band in the 24-300 GHz range. We also need to consider the existing bands used for 3G, 4G and 5G networks. Higher bands tend to have a shorter transmission distance. In order to mitigate this issue, Samsung has developed solutions such as Cross Division Duplex (XDD) technology, whose standardization process is already underway, and is also pursuing the development of technologies such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS), which improves beam sharpness and can steer or reflect the wireless signal to a desired direction by use of a metamaterial surface.

The Samsung Research Advanced Communications Research Center in fact recently published a white paper, entitled “6G Spectrum: Expanding the Frontier” which includes ways to obtain the spectrum needed to achieve the company’s 6G vision. We are also closely working with leading global experts from academia and industry in the area of next-generation communications technologies.

Park The white paper lays out the company’s vision for securing global frequency bands for 6G. I have heard that Samsung Research America, along with Samsung Research and researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), recently managed to successfully demonstrate wireless communications in the terahertz (THz) band which is one of the candidate bands for 6G.

Charlie Zhang The THz spectrum covers from 100 GHz to 10 THz. Our team was responsible for building a proof-of-concept (PoC) prototype system able to demonstrate the potential of the THz spectrum, including related distance, data rate, RF (Radio Frequency) and baseband system capacity.

In collaboration with Professor Mark Rodwell’s research team at UCSB and the Samsung Research team based in Korea, in 2021, we succeeded in demonstrating 6G THz wireless communication with phased-array beamforming capability.

Even though we still have a long way to go to improve the performance, this achievement of phased-array beamforming at a long distance is an important milestone for THz research as it demonstrated the clear potential of the THz spectrum for future cellular communication.

Park The commercial launch of 6G is not expected to occur soon. However, the competition surrounding the development of 6G technologies has steadily been increasing. What would you characterize as Samsung’s unique advantages when it comes to developing these next-generation technologies?

Choi Samsung is a company that offers a wide variety of products, ranging from smartphones and base stations to chipsets – something that it is not at all common in the industry. Furthermore, in April 2019, Samsung was among the first to realize the commercialization of 5G. Samsung also has a strong track record of having led technology standardization with its partners for many years at the telecommunications standards organization that develops unified global standards for mobile telecommunications, the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

Zhang In order to accelerate the development process of the next generation telecommunications system to the point where it can become a commercial reality, development and utilization of various technologies are key, and at Samsung Research, we are very happy to see that many partners are joining us in these efforts. Samsung Research was one of the first research institutes in the world to publish a 6G vision white paper. Following on from our previous collaborations, we will continue, along with various partners, to identify key solutions in order to successfully commercialize 6G technology.

Park I understand that the standardization of 6G technology is expected to begin around 2025. Could you please introduce the standardization process and the work that needs to be done to successfully achieve 6G standardization?

Choi The future of communications technology will be defined by its ability to bring the next hyper-connected experience to all. Communications technologies enable human-to-human, human-to-machine and machine-to-machine connections. To connect different devices or machines, we need the same standard of communications across the board, and the process to set this standard is called ‘standardization.’ To standardize the communications technologies, the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), an agency of the United Nations, first defines the technical requirements, which is then followed by the work of organizations such as 3GPP to establish technical standards according to these requirements. The standard for a new generation of communications technology is developed through the process of submitting proposals and reaching the consensus among constituting members.

While it is essential to develop outstanding technologies, it is also important to form a consensus on 6G technologies in the standardization process. As part of this effort, Samsung is holding its first-ever Samsung 6G Forum on May 13, which will see leading experts from all over the world in the mobile communications field gather to discuss 6G.

Park Can you please elaborate more on what we can expect from Samsung’s first-ever 6G Forum?

Choi The upcoming Samsung 6G Forum will be a sphere within which the world’s top experts in the field can set the tone for the future of 6G. We are set to have presentations and panel discussions on the topic of 6G air interface in the morning, and will then hold presentations and panel discussions about AI-based intelligent networks for 6G in the afternoon. Anyone interested in 6G technologies is able to participate in the Forum through online pre-registration.

Zhang At the 6G Forum, Samsung will be demonstrating some of the 6G candidate technologies that it has been developing over the past three years, as well as the company’s vision for future technology development. Although there is still a long road ahead of us before we achieve 6G commercialization, I believe that the hyper-connected experiences across all areas of life that 6G is set to bring us will become a reality sooner rather than later by bringing together industry, academia and research experts regularly through the opportunities like Samsung 6G Forum.

Park These days, the term ‘6G’ is a commonly known one. The general gist of what the 6G era will bring includes communications speed increases and mobile-based virtual reality experiences, changes that will totally transform users’ daily lives. I am curious what you, as two leaders in 6G research and development, have to say about what the biggest changes are set to be for this era?

Choi From my perspective, the era of 6G is set to connect as many as 500 billion devices, resulting in the vehicles, appliances and even the buildings around us being connected to this super-fast communications network.

Samsung Research defines the biggest changes in three ways: firstly, services such as truly-immersive extended reality (XR), high-fidelity mobile holograms and digital replicas will be possible. Secondly, the performance of telecommunications networks is set to improve greatly thanks to the implementation of AI technologies. Finally, the connected experience offered to users will be available anytime and anywhere, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and from the ground to the sky.

Zhang Even now, limited XR devices and services such as VR and AR exist and digital replication technology is already being harnessed in industrial IoT. However, the limitations of hardware devices and communications performance mean that the utilization of these technologies is not high. In a world where 6G technology is universal, those truly-immersive XR and high-fidelity mobile holograms, as once seen only in science fiction movies, will become possible. Furthermore, by bringing together the virtual and real worlds, it will become possible to safely and easily address problems encountered in the real world.

Park What are your thoughts on the future direction of and your goals for 6G technology research?

Zhang At Samsung Research America, we will focus on undertaking research into how to successfully commercialize 6G technology along with our partners. Along with our research into THz, we are planning to continue our research to improve high-capacity data transmission and latency and to simplify future network deployment. Research collaboration with industry and academia will continue to accelerate the realization of the 6G vision of providing next-generation hyper-connected experiences across all areas of life.

Choi The process of preparing for 6G commercialization that Samsung is working on is set to be a long and painstaking one, requiring a lot of hard work. This cannot be achieved by Samsung alone, and will require the collaboration of industries, academics and governments alike. We at Samsung intend to play a leading role in leading both innovation and collaboration.

Park I’d like to thank you both for your time today. Do you have any closing remarks you would like to share?

Zhang It has been an honor to speak with you today and introduce the efforts and vision of Samsung Research for 6G. While there are many challenges ahead, I agree with Dr. Choi that by continuing innovation and collaboration, we can definitely achieve the goal of bringing the next hyper-connected experience to every corner of life via 6G.

Choi The first step in moving towards our joint goal of realizing 6G will be taken at the Samsung 6G Forum, and we look forward to the interest and participation of many at the event.

If you are interested in pre-registering online to take part in the Samsung 6G Forum on May 13, you may do so by visiting the event website until the day of the event. As well as receiving event schedule updates, registered guests will also be able to leave questions on the website prior to each session.

The Samsung 6G Forum, divided into two sessions, will be broadcast live online via Samsung’s YouTube channel. Be sure to tune in on May 13 to learn more about the future of the hyper-connected experience, and stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for all the latest news about 6G.

¹ Samsung Research, Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, leads the development of future technologies for the company’s Device eXperience (DX) Division.