Architectural Evolution toward 6G Networks: A European View

The 5G standardization has been progressing at an astonishingly rapid phase, where 3GPP Release 15 and Release 16 have set the foundations of the 5G system, while Release 17 will provide enhancements and optimizations to enable support for further use cases. In parallel to 5G standardization efforts, the 5G PPP initiative is currently at its peak with around 40 projects running concurrently. 5GPPP Architecture Working Group (WG) was launched during the Phase 1 of the 5GPPP Initiative with the result of publishing three White Papers in June 2016, January 2018, and June 2019. The latest version of white paper placed the focus on architectural support for vertical industries capitalizing on the Phase 2 projects. Currently, 5GPPP Architecture WG is active with 21 Phase 3 Projects from ICT 17, 18, 19, and 20 projects (5G Trials, Validation across verticals, and B5G) and will further integrate new projects as they join 5GPPP collaboration actions (e.g., ICT 52 projects with towards 6G focus). 5GPPP Architecture WG presents the European view on Architecture and, hence, we foresee the 5GPPP Architecture WG as the organizer of this WS. The goal of the workshop (WS) is two-fold. On one hand, this WS will highlight the key architectural innovation points and findings from the 5G projects that will bridge the evolution of the 5G architecture toward the future 6G mobile and wireless networks. On the other hand, the newest generation of projects are already working on beyond 5G topics and most of them have formulated work items under the 6G theme. Therefore, this workshop will further provide the floor to these beyond 5G and towards 6G projects to formulate their visions, requirements and architectural considerations for future generation of mobile systems. The focus of the thematic topics will be on technology enablers and design recommendations that will allow to move from 5G and beyond towards a fully-fledged 6G architecture as indicated in the list of related topics:

Related topics

Fundamentally new radio technology architectures
Considerably higher frequencies and related channel models
Inherent AI-driven governance
Dynamic dependability and high resilience
Time-sensitive wireless/mobile networks
High-resolution localisation
E2E Network Slicing and Deep Slicing to support diverse verticals
Open Testbeds and facilities to assess new technology enablers.

Planned format of the special session:

Welcome word 9 :00-9 :10
1 keynote (1h) 9 :10-10 :10 (e.g., Hexa-X & 6G BRAINS)
2 papers (15 mins + 5 mins question for each paper) 10:15-10:55 Break
2 papers (15 mins + 5 mins question for each paper) 11:00-11:40
Lunch Break 11:40-13:00
2 papers (15 mins + 5 mins question for each paper) 13:00-13:40
Panel Part 1 (Chapter2, Chapter3) 13:40 – 14:20
Break
Panel Part 2 (Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 & Q&A) 14:30-16:30

Keynotes:

“On the path toward 6G System: Forming the Foundation” – Mikko Uusitalo (Nokia Bell Labs, Hexa-X Project Manager)

“6G Vision : Bring Reinforcement-learning into Ubiquitous Network” – Yue ZHANG (University of Leicester)

Papers:

“Experimental evaluation of a Follow-me MEC Cloud-Native 5G network” – Theodoros Tsourdinis (University of Thessaly, Greece); Nikos Makris (University of Thessaly & CERTH, Greece); Thanasis Korakis (University of Thessaly, Greece)

“An Ultra-Flexible Software Architecture Concept for 6G Core Networks” – Marius Corici, Eric Troudt and Pousali Chakraborty (Fraunhofer FOKUS, Germany); Thomas Magedanz (Fraunhofer Institute FOKUS / TU Berlin, Germany)

“6G Architectural Trends and Enablers” – Mårten Ericson, Massimo Condoluci, Patrik Rugeland and Stefan Wänstedt (Ericsson Research, Sweden); Mehdi S. H. Abad, Omer Haliloglu and Merve Saimler (Ericsson Research, Turkey); Luca Feltrin (Ericsson Research, Sweden)

“5G-COMPLETE: End-to-end Resource Allocation in Highly Heterogeneous Beyond 5G Networks” – Agapi Mesodiakaki (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) & Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki, Greece); Marios Gatzianas and George Kalfas (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki & Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Thessaloniki, Greece); Francesca Moscatelli, Giada Landi and Nicola Ciulli (Nextworks, Italy); Leonardo Lossi (University of Pisa, Italy)

Name(s) of special session organizer(s):

Ömer Bulakci (oemer.bulakci@nokia-bell-labs.com)
Anastasius Gavras (gavras@eurescom.eu)
Marco Gramaglia (mgramagl@it.uc3m.es)
Valerio Frascolla ( valerio.frascolla@intel.com)
Xun Zhang (xun.zhang@isep.fr)
Yue Zhang (yue.zhang@leicester.ac.uk)

Email of main contact person: Xun Zhang (xun.zhang@isep.fr)

Dr. Ömer Bulakci is a Senior Research Engineer at Nokia Bell Labs, Germany, and Vice-chairman of the 5GPPP Architecture Working Group. He received the degrees of B.Sc. (METU, Turkey, 2006), M.Sc. (TUM, Germany, 2008), and doctorate (Aalto University, Finland, 2013, Nokia Siemens Networks, Germany, 2009-2012). From 2012 till February 2020, he did research into 5G system, contributed to EU flagship projects METIS, METIS-II (leading WP on RAN CP design), and 5G- MoNArch (leading WP on overall architecture/slicing), and contributed to 3GPP at Huawei GRC, Germany. He is an author/co-author of 75+ technical publications (including 5G book editorship) and is an inventor of 55+ patents/patent applications.

Mr. Anastasius Gavras has more than 25 years of professional experience in academic and industry research. He is deeply involved in several bodies of the 5G PPP and is currently the co-ordinator of 6G BRAINS project. His interests are large scale testbed for enabling experimentation in 5G and beyond technologies and systems among others in the context of the 5G-PPP. He is interested in innovation on top of 5G and beyond infrastructures and the evolution of the networks in general. He is member of the 5G PPP steering board and actively involved in several work groups of the initiative. Mr. Valerio Frascolla (MSc and PhD in Electronic Engineering) is Director of Research and Innovation at Intel and had been working at Ancona University, Comneon, Infineon, and as reviewer for the European Commission. Valerio is Innovation Manager of the 5GENESIS project and has served in different roles in other 17 funded research projects. He is author of 70+ publications, serves as reviewer for 25+ journals, has participated in the TPC of 60+ conferences and has organized several Special Sessions, Workshops, and Panels at international conferences.

Dr. Marco Gramaglia is a Post-Doc researcher at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Department of Telematics Engineering. I obtained my Ph.D. in Telematics Engineering from UC3M in 2012, and my M.Sc. in Computer Science Engineering from Politecnico di Torino in 2008. Prior to his current appointment he held post-doctoral positions at IMDEA Networks (Madrid, Spain), IEIIT-CNR (Turin,Italy), and ISMB (now Links, Turin, Italy). He has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed papers.
Dr. Xun Zhang (SMIEEE) Associate Professor in the Dept. of Electronic and Computer Engineering at ISEP Paris. IEEE Senior member. Who obtained a B.E. degree from Wuhan university of technology, an M.E. degree from Université Marrie Pierre Curie in 2005, and PhD from Nancy university in 2009. He obtained a Post-Doc fellowship of Motorola Fondation in IETR/SCEE at Supélec in 2010. He is currently employed as associate professor in MINARC team of laboratory at the Institut Supérieur d’Electronique de Paris (ISEP). His research activities involve algorithm implementation optimization for Visible Light Communication (VLC) and Feedback Systems Control for sleep apnea. He initiated and was strongly involved in a successful project on PLC-VLC with Tsinghua University. He is also responsible for technique development and research in H2020 project Internet of Radio Light (IoRL). He organized a worksop on the VLC in september 2015 and Special Session in ISCAS 2016. He is chair of IEEE BMSB conference in 2020. He is author and co-author of 80 conference papers, 20 journals and 2 book chapters. He also co-chaired special sessions in IEEE international conferences (NEWCAS, FTFC).

Dr. Yue Zhang (SMIEEE, MIET) Associate Professor , the Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, obtained his B.E and M.E degree in 2001 and 2004 respectively at Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications, China. In 2008 he received his PhD degree in Brunel University, UK, where he also worked as a Research Engineer for the EU FP6 project- PLUTO. From 2008, he was a Signal Processing Design Engineer in Microwave Measurement Division-Europe, Anritsu Corp. He was responsible for the RF/IF, digital and DSP design for the measurement instruments for various wireless and broadcasting systems. From 2010, he joined Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK as Reader in Signal Processing. He also worked as a Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, Industrial Fellowship with Aeroflex Ltd. He currently leads EU Horizon 2020 5GPPP project IoRL as the Chief Architect and Deputy Scientific
and Technical Project Manager. He is also one of the commitee members of 5G PPP pre-standardisation and 5G Architecture WG. His research interests are signal processing for 5G wireless and mobile systems, radio propagation model and multimedia and wireless networks. Dr. Zhang currently serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, ITU Journal of Intelligent and Converged Networks and IEEE Access.

Important dates for Architectural Evolution toward 6G Networks workshop paper submissions:

Submission link to EDAS : (look for WS-2-Evo6G: Architectural Evolution toward 6G Networks: A European View)
Architectural Evolution toward 6G Networks: A European View)
Website for workshop: When accepted + 2 days
Deadline for paper submission: September 15, 2021
Acceptance Notification: TBA
Camera-Ready Submission: TBA September 5, 2021