Having a 5G phone is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Although having one may have been considered cutting-edge until recently, 5G networks have been so widely used that practically everyone now considers them to be standard.
As such, the days of owning a 6G phone seem closer to reality than they formerly were. Recently, IT companies have made significant investments in next-generation wireless research, keeping up with the rapid advancement of technology and the growing demands of our digital society.
However, before we arrive in the 6G era, an important milestone must be crossed: 5G-Advanced. This blog, which features the most recent advancements in radio technology, will guide you on your trip from 5G-Advanced to 6G.
We will quickly address critical updates given in Release 18 and Release 19, unveil the future mobile networks, and finally disclose the foundational blocks of 6G. In a nutshell, the vision is strikingly crystal clear: a creation of instinctive, faster, and connected worlds.
Introduction to 5G-Advanced and 6G
5G, covered under Release 15, Release 16, and Release 17, is being used extensively worldwide and has shown remarkable success in the IP sector.
Therefore, the growing need for mobile broadband drives the advancement of wireless technology, which in turn moves the field closer to vertical markets like the internet of things, automotive, and satellite industries. “5G-Advanced,” which is part of Release 18, enhances the 5G base technology in a few ways.
5G-Advanced uses what 5G has built as a sturdy base to herald the second wave of innovation that impacts 5G technology. It shall evolve further in 5G New Radio and 5G Core areas for guaranteeing global success in deployed systems.
The aim of 5G-Advanced is to expand the use of 3GPP technology by stretching across different verticals like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR, VR), etc. It will also enhance the existing 5G concepts/features like Network Slicing, IoT, etc., to improve the performance and efficiency of the devices.
Apart from this, in the ongoing effort to realize 5G’s full potential, Release 19 of 5G-Advanced additionally covers areas that are more important for ongoing 5G commercialization.
Some concepts of fundamental 5G are also considered for the upcoming innovation to be included in 6G. Since Release 19 is the last release that will include only 5G, it is expected that Release 20 will be more focused on the 6G studies. A few studies are exploring the technical capabilities of 6G, such as enabling new spectrum bands, sensor-assisted communication, etc.
Evolution of 3GPP technology – 5G Advanced to 6G
3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is a standard organization responsible for developing protocols for mobile telecommunications.
5G technology was introduced in 3GPP Release 15. It focused on three main areas:
- Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
- Critical Internet of Things (IoT)
- Massive IoT
Since then, 5G has grown to include new areas and introduced many new concepts compared to older generations of mobile technology.
As technology improved, like with the introduction of eXtended Reality (XR), 5G needed to be optimized further. The 5G system has built-in features, such as dividing the network into different virtual slices. This makes it easier for 5G to evolve. This evolution continues in Release 19
Advanced 5G enhances network performance and provides many new applications. Let’s understand briefly about technological developments in Release 18 and Release 19 and scope of 6G technology in Release 20.
3GPP Release for 5G-Advanced
Release – 18
After 3GPP Release 15 was completed, cellular technology aimed to fully unlock the network’s potential. The focus was on enhancing several key areas: improving network capacity, boosting efficiency, lowering latency, and providing faster data speeds. Release 18 targets these advancements in the standards, working to improve the overall capabilities of the 5G network.
With the introduction of Advanced 5G, technologies such as self-driving cars, smart homes, augmented reality, smart cities, 3D videos and UHD screens, Industrial automation, etc., appeared. The number of mobile subscribers and IoT Connections increased massively from 2018 to 2025, as shown below –
5G Advanced brings improvements to eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) performance. It also enhances Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), making the transition from LTE to NR more efficient. While 5G has already addressed critical IoT needs by supporting Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), Release 18 goes further by introducing support for Deterministic Networking (DetNet), which enables the industrial internet. Additionally, 5G Advanced introduces support for drones.
Although NR’s streamlined design already uses energy efficiently on both network and device sides, Release 18 puts even more focus on energy saving. One approach being explored for improved energy efficiency is the use of AI and machine learning technologies.
Below is a brief explanation of a few of the features providing enhanced support for new market segments with the introduction of Advanced 5G in Release 18:
eMBB (Enhanced Mobile Broadband)
eMBB is a key concept in 5G Advanced that focuses on higher data rates, improved network capacity, lower latency, and improved energy efficiency. It supports high bandwidth transmission through high-definition video streaming, online gaming, and immersive augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Put simply: eMBB makes it possible for you to stream high-definition movies on your device while you’re traveling. Let’s understand how –
In 5G, high speed is always expected, but capacity and mobility may or may not always be essential. Say many people are connected to a 5G network in an area at a time. In this situation, capacity needs would be higher than mobility to maintain the high-speed experience. However, traveling in a vehicle requires high mobility to maintain a high-speed experience.
URLLC (Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications)
URLLC is another key concept for 5G Advance, which supports real-time communication, such as autonomous driving and remote surgery. As the name suggests, the connection needs high reliability, and the services require data transfers to be very fast with as little lag as possible.
To support 5G URLLC, the reliability should be up to 99.999%, and the latency should be in the lower range of single-digit milliseconds. According to 3GPP, this indicates an improvement of up to 75% compared to the latency of 4G LTE.
URLLC provides the provision of multi-connectivity that enables the devices to simultaneously connect to multiple networks, such as Wi-Fi, to improve the reliability and availability of URLLC applications. It also supports using IoT technology in manufacturing by allowing faster data transfer to improve automation and increase safety in automated factories or warehouses.
mMTC (Massive Machine-Type Communication)
5G MTC allows for the connection of many things in IoT. The enhancements of mMTC aim to improve scalability by connecting up to 1 million devices per square kilometer so that the devices have low energy consumption and low data rate requirements.
Many connected devices are critical for smart cities, smart agriculture, smart homes, etc. Through mMTC, sensors can help monitor the minute changes at locations spread across a wide area to enable near-real-time responses.
Release 18 also aims to improve the security of mMTC applications, which is critical for applications that use sensitive data, such as secure communication and authentication procedures.
Release – 19
After rigorous discussions for the evolution of 5G technology, the scope of 5G Advanced Release 19 was officially decided in the later months of 2023. Release 19 primarily aims to deliver new 5G Advancements and improve the performance of 5G commercial deployments. It will also focus on suitable characteristics for sensing various objects, including vehicles, UAVs, and humans. Moreover, it also outlines the technical foundation for 6G, which is expected to ramp up in Releases 20 and 21.
Below is a brief understanding of the key advancements that will be provided in Release 19 –
Massive MIMO
Massive MIMO is one of the cornerstones of 5G enhanced in Release 18. Release 19 aims to support massive MIMO on larger antenna arrays, thus improving multi-user MIMO. This enables multiple UEs to share the same time-frequency resources, providing higher beamforming flexibility.
Release 19 will also improve the signal quality by enabling the cost-efficient realization of devices, which is an essential step to deploying a large-scale, fully distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) system.
Mobility
5G Advanced introduces a new handover process called Low-layer triggered mobility (LTM), which allows for handovers with shorter interruption times. In Release 18, LTM works between cells within the same gNB. Release 19 expands this capability, allowing LTM to work between cells from different gNBs. The LTM framework will also include NR-NR dual connectivity across different frequency ranges (FR1 and FR2). Additionally, Release 19 is expected to explore the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to improve mobility. This AI/ML technology could potentially be used to predict which cell will provide the best service in the future.
Extended Reality and Metaverse
Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term that covers augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and cloud gaming.
Release 18 XR enhancements focused on optimizing XR devices’ capacity and power consumption. Release 19 further aims to improve the user experience by improving the XR traffic scheduling and device power savings. Higher XR capacity can be achieved by improving the uplink and downlink scheduling using packet delay information.
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)
NR supports satellite communication in NTN since 3GPP Release 17. Release 18 facilitated robust voice and messaging connectivity through uplink coverage enhancements. In release 19, one of the primary objectives is to enhance the satellite downlink coverage. It may also introduce UEs with higher output power.
The road ahead in telecom – 6G and Release 20+
5G technology is already being deployed at a high pace, providing high-speed and low-latency connectivity. Such an ongoing transformation will lead to challenges beyond what can be met by 5G and 5G Advanced. As predicted by industry experts, half of the world’s data will be generated by sources like machines, sensors, etc., in the future. IAM mentions, “The 5G technology revolution will not only disrupt business models for connected devices but also prompt industries to reconsider how best to deal with intellectual property”.
The upcoming technology needs to meet growing expectations and set clear goals for the industry and research community. 6G aims to contribute to an efficient and sustainable society through smarter communication. Studies suggest 6G’s vision is to shift from a traditional model-driven approach to a more data-driven design for communication systems.
While AI/ML is a key development area in 5G Advanced, it will become a core foundation of 6G. AI/ML has the potential to underpin the revolutionary features of 6G and play a crucial role in creating a fully data-driven 6G architecture. Additionally, XR is expected to evolve, enabling human-machine interaction and posing new requirements for 6G to enhance user experience.
Release 19, while being the last release focused on 5G, will also lay the groundwork for 6G, defining a framework for Release 20. As 6G standards develop, new Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) will emerge, covering innovations like advanced AI and machine learning integration, terahertz frequencies, and quantum communications. These will shape future licensing landscapes. A comprehensive 3GPP study considering technological evolution and its complex aspects will help design new mobility features for Release 20.
Conclusion
As we enter a new era of wireless technology, the evolution from 5G to 5G Advanced and eventually to 6G promises to enhance mobile connectivity. The journey from 5G to 6G is marked by significant milestones, particularly the introduction of 5G-Advanced, which begins with Release 18 and builds on the foundations laid by Releases 15, 16, and 17. The innovations introduced in 3GPP Releases 18 and 19 highlight both architectural enhancements and additional capabilities for new market segments, enabling more robust and high-speed communication systems across a wide range of services. With 5G Advanced, new services like advanced XR, high-demand video streaming, and more further raise expectations for network performance.
To meet these rising demands efficiently, service providers have increasingly leveraged AI/ML and network automation while continuing to reduce energy consumption. As service providers capitalize on the benefits of 5G Advanced systems, they are also looking ahead to 6G technology. 5G-Advanced serves as a crucial bridge, enhancing existing 5G capabilities and setting the stage for the evolution toward 6G. 6G aims to move beyond traditional approaches, utilizing vast amounts of data to develop more intelligent and advanced communication systems.
Wireless technology holds unmatched potential for advancement and expansion in the future. This suggests that the transition from 5G is a future of connectedness and not just a technology advancement, ushering in a more intelligent and linked society.
