Secrecy

Standardization

Computer security

Operating system

Telecommunications

Computer science

Software deployment

Key (lock)

Nature Electronics

The standardization of fifth generation (5G) communications has been completed, and the 5G network should be commercially launched in 2020. As a result, the visioning and planning of sixth generation (6G) communications has begun, with an aim to provide communication services for the future demands of the 2030s. Here we provide a vision for 6G that could serve a research guide in the post-5G era. We suggest that human-centric mobile communications will still be the most important application of 6G and the 6G network should be human centric. Thus, high security, secrecy, and privacy should be key features of 6G and should be given particular attention by the wireless research community. To support this vision, we provide a systematic framework in which potential application scenarios of 6G are anticipated and subdivided. We subsequently define key potential features of 6G and discuss the required communication technologies. We also explore the issues beyond communication technologies that could hamper research and deployment of 6G.

What should 6G be?