6G Use Cases

The mobile communication industry is entering an era where connectivity is no longer enough. With 5G, the world witnessed the rise of eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband) for ultra-fast internet, mMTC (massive machine-type communication) for IoT, and URLLC (ultra-reliable low-latency communication) for critical services. These three pillars defined IMT-2020 and formed the backbone of today’s wireless ecosystems.

However, as we approach IMT-2030, 6G is envisioned to become more than just a faster network. It will be a converged platform of intelligence, sensing, and connectivity, with the ability to integrate communication with perception, cognition, and sustainability.

The ITU has identified six major usage scenarios for 6G, supported by four overarching design principles. Let’s explore them one by one in depth.

Reference: 3gpp

Reference: Book- 6G Mobile Wireless Networks

Use Cases

Immersive Communication: A Leap Beyond XR

Immersive communication is often considered the flagship use case of 6G, expanding on VR/AR applications from 5G into a truly multi-sensory, lifelike environment.

• Holographic Telepresence: Instead of flat video calls, people will interact through full 3D holographic projections. For example, a business meeting could involve life-size holograms of colleagues seated around a table with real-time facial and gesture recognition.

• Full-Sensory Virtual Reality (XR): 6G will support multi-sensory XR (sight, sound, and touch). Haptic gloves and suits connected over sub-millisecond links will allow users to “feel” digital objects, such as shaking hands in virtual conferences or trying fabrics before online shopping.
• Virtual Tourism and Education: Students may explore ancient Rome or the Amazon rainforest in interactive 3D classes, while tourists could virtually visit iconic landmarks with guided, real-time narration.
• Entertainment & Sports: Stadium-sized holographic concerts or sports events could be streamed to living rooms globally, with 8K/16K resolution holograms and personalized camera angles.

This scenario represents a fusion of human senses with network intelligence, transforming how we communicate, learn, and entertain ourselves.

AI and Communication: Networks with Built-in Intelligence

5G networks use AI primarily for optimization and analytics, but 6G will embed AI into the core design of the network itself.

• Self-Learning Networks: AI will make networks self-configuring and self-healing. For example, in case of sudden traffic congestion, 6G networks will autonomously reallocate spectrum or re-route traffic without human intervention.

• AI at the Edge: Edge devices such as autonomous vehicles or drones will offload compute-heavy AI tasks to nearby edge servers with instant response, enabling safer navigation, real-time coordination, and adaptive decision-making.
• Collaborative AI Systems: Imagine a fleet of drones surveying farmland. Instead of operating in isolation, they will share and learn collectively through 6G’s AI-augmented fabric, making coordinated decisions about irrigation, crop monitoring, and pest control.
• AI-Assisted Communication: 6G will introduce semantic communication, where networks don’t just transmit raw data but focus on transmitting “meaning.” For instance, two autonomous cars exchanging information may only need to transmit key intent data (e.g., “I’m braking now”) instead of full sensor images.

This tight integration makes 6G a cognitive network, where intelligence and connectivity are inseparable.

Hyper-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication

While URLLC in 5G targeted applications like industrial automation and vehicular safety, 6G takes reliability and latency to the extreme.

• Telemedicine & Remote Surgery: A surgeon in Tokyo could operate on a patient in a rural Indian hospital using robotic instruments, with real-time haptic feedback and zero perceptible delay.

• Autonomous Vehicles: Vehicles equipped with thousands of sensors will make split-second driving decisions, enabled by 6G’s <1ms latency. Collaborative driving, or swarm intelligence, will minimize accidents and optimize road usage.
• Industrial Robotics: Manufacturing plants will employ robotic arms synchronized to the microsecond, ensuring error-free production even at high speeds.
• Defence & Emergency Services: In critical missions, such as firefighting or battlefield communication, 6G will provide resilient, delay-free links, ensuring decisions are made with precision timing.

The reliability bar will be raised to “five-nines” (99.999%) and beyond, enabling truly life-critical use cases that demand absolute trust in the network.

Ubiquitous Connectivity: Internet Without Boundaries

One of 6G’s boldest promises is removing all barriers to connectivity—geographic, economic, or technological.

• Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs): Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), along with High Altitude Platforms (HAPS), will seamlessly integrate with terrestrial base stations, providing coverage even in deserts, oceans, and mountains.
• Rural & Remote Access: Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa or fishermen in the Pacific Ocean could access high-speed broadband, enabling precision agriculture, tele-education, and global e-commerce.

• Underground & Oceanic Networks: Tunnels, mines, and undersea operations will be monitored by 6G-enabled sensors connected via sub-terahertz links.
• Disaster Recovery: When terrestrial infrastructure collapses (e.g., earthquakes, floods), aerial platforms can be rapidly deployed to restore communication within hours.

6G envisions a world where no individual or device remains unconnected, bridging the digital divide once and for all.

Massive Communication: Billions of Devices, One Nervous System

Building on mMTC, 6G will connect to one million devices per km². This will be the foundation of hyper-connected societies.

• Smart Cities: Billions of IoT sensors will continuously monitor traffic, pollution, water quality, and waste management, creating self-regulating urban ecosystems.
• Smart Agriculture: Connected soil sensors, weather stations, and drone fleets will enable precision farming, ensuring optimal use of water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

• Healthcare Monitoring: Wearables, implants, and even “digital pills” will stream continuous health data to cloud platforms, allowing preventive care instead of reactive treatments.
• Industrial IoT: Machines, vehicles, and logistics assets will operate in seamless, self-organized communication for supply chain efficiency.

Massive communication under 6G effectively turns society into a digitally augmented nervous system, constantly aware and responsive.

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC): Networks that Perceive

Perhaps the most revolutionary use case, ISAC will make 6G networks not just carriers of data but active sensors of the environment.

• Environmental Mapping: Networks will detect obstacles, weather, and terrain in real time. A drone delivering medicine could “see” through fog or smoke using network sensing.
• 4D Positioning: Achieving centimeter-level positioning accuracy, ISAC will support indoor navigation, augmented reality, and logistics automation.
• Security & Defense: Integrated sensing will allow military or disaster agencies to monitor terrain and movements passively using network signals.

• Smart Mobility: Vehicles will not only communicate but also perceive their surroundings through radar-like sensing embedded in 6G waveforms.

ISAC blurs the boundary between communication and radar, making 6G both a communication system and a sensory system.

Overarching Goals of IMT-2030

The ITU framework (outer circle in your diagram) highlights strategic goals that shape all use cases:

• Sustainability: Green networking powered by renewable energy, intelligent sleep modes, and resource-aware AI to reduce carbon footprints.
• Ubiquitous Intelligence: AI is not just a feature but an integral property of the network, learning and adapting continuously.
• Connecting the Unconnected: Every person, device, and community, regardless of geography, must have access to reliable internet.
• Security & Resilience: Built-in protection against cyberattacks, quantum-resistant encryption, and robust fault-tolerance.

Outlook: Toward a Cyber-Physical World

By 2030, 6G networks are expected to deliver:

• 100× speed increase over 5G (up to 1 Tbps).
• Sub-millisecond latency enabling instant human-machine interaction.
• 1 million devices/km² for massive IoT density.
• Native AI integration making networks cognitive and autonomous.
• Seamless integration with sensing, computing, and satellite systems.

6G is not just another “G.” It is the technological backbone of a cyber-physical society, enabling:

• Smart cities that self-regulate energy, water, and waste.
• Healthcare systems that detect disease before symptoms appear.
• Education systems that remove physical boundaries.
• Transportation systems where accidents are almost eliminated.
• Environments where communication and sensing converge.

The usage scenarios of IMT-2030 reflect a profound vision: networks that are no longer just about data delivery but about awareness, intelligence, inclusivity, and sustainability.

6G will not simply connect us, it will immerse us, sense with us, learn with us, and protect us. It will be the foundation of the next digital civilization, bridging human life with intelligent cyber-physical systems.

References

• ITU-R Recommendation – “Framework and overall objectives of the future development of IMT for 2030 and beyond (IMT-2030)” (Draft, 2023–2024).
• 3GPP TR 38.913 – “Study on Scenarios and Requirements for Next Generation Access Technologies.”
• Hexa-X-II Project (EU Horizon 2020) – Deliverable D1.2: “Use cases and requirements for 6G.” January 2024.
• NGMN Alliance (2022). “6G Use Cases and Analysis: View on 6G Architecture.”
• Ericsson (2024). “6G: Top Use Cases You Need to Know.” Ericsson Blog.
• Samsung Research (2023). “6G White Paper: The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.”
• Huawei (2022). “6G: The Next Horizon.” Huawei White Paper.
• Nokia Bell Labs (2023). “6G Era: Networking the Future.” Nokia Insights Report.
• DOCOMO & NTT (2024). “DOCOMO 6G White Paper – 6G Societal & Technical Use Cases.”
• IEEE Communications Magazine (2022–2024). Multiple articles on Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) and Semantic Communication.
• ETSI GR ENI 017 (2021). “Experiential Networked Intelligence (ENI): AI-based Network Architecture.”
• Telcoma Global (2024). “Use Cases and Applications of 6G Networks.”
• ArXiv Preprints (2022–2024).
• “6G Enabling Technologies: Intelligent Surfaces, Semantic Communications, and Beyond” (arXiv:2210.08970).
• “Integrated Sensing and Communication: 6G Use Cases and Challenges” (arXiv:2303.05283).
• European Space Agency (ESA, 2023). Reports on NTN and 6G satellite integration.