Abstract
This chapter comprehensively surveys the six aspects of the 5G and future 6G internet of things (IoT). First, most of the 5G- and 6G-IoT usage scenarios and key performance indicators are summarized in the forms of tables, pictures, and diagrams to facilitate readers to understand and compare current and future IoT technologies more easily and quickly. Second, 5G- and 6G-IoT access networks, protocols, and standards were briefly analyzed and compared, such as coverage, transfer data speed, energy consumption, operating frequency, and the number of device connectivity. Third and fourth, the impact of 6G-IoT on society's daily life and industry operation, as well as its underlying research were described. Fifth, five types of 6G-IoT challenges were analyzed and discussed in detail in this chapter, namely transmission path loss at THz, wireless network coverage, transfer data rate, latency, security, privacy protection, and energy-efficient and reliable devices/services. Finally, the latest nine IoT business models are described and summarized in tabular form.
TopIntroduction
Around 2008 and 2009, the ‘Internet of Things’ term began to be mentioned in academia and industry. The ‘Internet of Things’ was normally represented by short form of ‘IoT’ and originally defined as (International Telecommunication Union, 2012):
A global infrastructure for the information society, enabling advanced services by interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on existing and evolving interoperable information and communication technologies.
Over the past decade, a great deal of studies and research related to the Internet of Things (IoT) has been conducted, as well as commercial IoT products already exist in the market. Therefore, academic circles, industry circles, and manufacturers now have a clearer understanding of the infrastructure form and business model of the IoT compared to the initial proposal. As a result, recently, more specific and explicit terms have been used in the definition of the IoT (Riazul Islam et al., 2015, IoT for all, 2021, Wikipedia, 2021):
A physical object that is embedded with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies, and that connects and exchanges data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other communications networks.
or
A system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical, and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
or
A device embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that are capable of covering a variety of protocols, domains, and applications, which include the automotive industry, public safety, emergency services, and medical field.
In short, IoT is an infrastructure where the use involves people, devices, and services connected by wireless communication technology. For instance, the implementation of future sixth generation wireless technology (6G) in IoT assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) features is called 6G-IoT.
At present, the IoT applications have been widely implemented in the industrial field and our daily lives, covering eight main infrastructures, namely smart wearables, smart home, smart city, smart agriculture, smart vehicle, smart health care, industry automation, smart energy as shown in Figure 1. In 2018, the utilize of the IoT is expanded through the evolution of fifth generation wireless technology (5G). When 5G wireless technology is used, predictions and preliminary studies related to future 6G wireless technology have already begun, with operating frequencies above 95 GHz to 3 THz. For example, since 2018 until Jan 2023, up to thousands of studies and recommendations related to 6G communications and IoT have been documented (Huang et al., 2019, Letaief et al., 2019, Saad et al., 2019, Zhang et al., 2019a, Zhang et al., 2019b, Zong et al., 2019, Akhtar et al., 2020, Alsharif et al., 2020, Ian et al., 2020, Lee et al., 2020, Michailidis et al., 2020, Sekaran et al., 2020, Barakat et al., 2021, Chen and Okada, 2021, Dao et al., 2021, De Alwis et al., 2021, Dinh et al., 2021, Guo et al., 2021, Imoize et al., 2021, Ji et al., 2021, Jiang et al., 2021, Padhi & Charrua, 2021, Schroeder, 2021, Spyridis et al., 2021, You et al., 2021).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Internet of Things (IoT): A system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical, and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.
Machine Learning (ML): A subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables machine systems to automatically learn, self-improvement from past experience, and make decisions without being explicitly programmed.
Terrestrial Radio Access Networks (TRAN): A type of network infrastructure used for mobile networks that consist of terrestrial radio base stations with large antennas that cover a specific region according to its capacity, design, and propagation.
Submillimeter Wave (Sub-mmWave): A form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 0.01 mm, which is corresponding to operating frequencies ranging from 0.3 THz to 30 THz.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): A simulation of human intelligence processes in machines using computer systems.
Fifth Generation Wireless Technology (5G): Digital cellular mobile communication networks that began wide deployment in 2019.
Microwave (MW): A form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 1 m to 1 mm, which is corresponding to operating frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 300 GHz.
Millimeter Wave (mmWave): A form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 10 mm to 1 mm, which is corresponding to operating frequencies ranging from 30 GHz to 300 GHz (within UHF and EHF bands of microwave).
Bluetooth: A short-range wireless technology based on the IEEE 802.15.1 standard, used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distance (within 10 m) using ISM band from 2.402 GHz to 2.4835 GHz.
Sixth Generation Wireless Technology (6G): A successor to 5G cellular technology, in which it is expected to be extended the operating frequency up to 3 THz (or above) with data rates of 0.1–1 Tbps, spectrum efficiency of 3–60 bps/Hz, 100 GHz channel bandwidth, and 1000 km/h mobility.
3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP): European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) formed in December 1998, partnered with other standard development organizations (SDOs) from around the world to develop new technologies specifications for the third generation (3G) of cellular networks.
Aerial Radio Access Networks (ARAN): A type of network infrastructure used mobile networks that consist of airborne radio base stations (such as unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, and satellites) with antennas that cover a specific region according to its capacity, design, and propagation.
Terahertz Wave (THz Wave): Also known as submillimeter wave.
Wireless Fidelity (WiFi): A family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, which are used to connect computers, tablets, smartphones, and other devices to the internet using radio waves.
Antenna: A transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves.