[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45648-45650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11277]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket Number: 240430-0121]
RIN 0660-XC062


Advancement of 6G Telecommunications Technology

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice, request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) is requesting comments on the current state of development of 
sixth generation (6G) wireless communications technology and to guide 
Executive Branch policies on necessary steps to facilitate the 
advancement of this technology. As potential requirements for 6G are 
being developed by industry, governmental, academic, and civil society 
stakeholders, NTIA hopes to hear from the public on the following 
questions to inform our own future engagement in support of 6G 
development and deployment.

DATES: Comments are due on or before August 21, 2024.

ADDRESSES: All electronic public comments on this action, identified by 
Regulations.gov docket number NTIA-2024-0001, may be submitted through 
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. The 
docket established for this rulemaking can be found at 
www.Regulations.gov, NTIA-2024-0001. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, 
complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. 
Responders should include a page number on each page of their 
submissions. Please do not include in your comments information of a 
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or 
proprietary information. All comments received are a part of the public 
record and will generally be posted to Regulations.gov without change. 
All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily 
submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Information 
obtained as a result of this notice may be used by the federal 
government for program planning on a non-attribution basis. For more 
detailed instructions about submitting comments, see the ``Instructions 
for Commenters'' section at the end of this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Dimsdale, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4701, Washington, DC 20230; 
telephone: (202) 482-3167; email: [email protected]. Please direct 
media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs: (202) 482-7002; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Secure and reliable telecommunications services are vital to 
ensuring the United States' economic competitiveness. As the 
telecommunications industry continues to deploy 5G wireless 
communications systems across the United States that both embody and 
enable standards-based, secure, reliable, and interoperable 
telecommunications ecosystems, the industry is beginning to plan for 
the development of the next generation of wireless communications: 6G. 
Advances in mobile networks have brought the internet to billions of 
people around the world who have, in turn, been able to access new 
opportunities and make new connections. 6G is expected to be the next 
step in continuing this positive momentum. Indeed, the U.S. and its 
like-minded partners have already established a core set of principles 
to shape the future of this critical technology to advance economic and 
national security interests.\1\
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    \1\ ``Joint Statement Endorsing Principles for 6G: Secure, Open 
& Resilient by Design,'' February 2024. [Online]. Available: https://ntia.gov/speechtestimony/2024/joint-statement-endorsing-principles-6g-secure-open-resilient-design.
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    In a report submitted to NTIA in December 2023, the Commerce 
Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) describes the 6G Vision 
as ``Dynamic connectivity across public and private digital and 
physical domains that enables intelligent communications while creating 
conditions for economic growth, enhanced national security, and 
societal well-being.'' \2\ In addition to International 
Telecommunication Union's (ITU) work on International Mobile 
Telecommunications-2030 (IMT-2030), there are a variety of 
organizations authoring 6G visions, including the U.S. NextG 
Alliance,\3\ the India's Bharat 6G Alliance,\4\ China's IMT-2030 
Promotion Group,\5\ and more. 6G is expected to be a general-purpose 
technology that provides pervasive and seamless connectivity across 
public and private digital and physical domains. 6G usage scenarios 
will likely not only build on those that began in 5G--including 
enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-type communications, and 
ultra-reliable, low-latency communications--but will also expand 
ubiquitous connectivity, integrated sensing and communication, and 
artificial intelligence. New and emerging 6G-enabled applications hold 
promise to help achieve both societal and economic domestic goals 
including public safety, security, resilience, interoperability, 
economic competitiveness, and digital equity; international goals such 
as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and environmental 
goals; and enterprise goals like productivity, cost savings, quality, 
and time-to-market.
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    \2\ ``CSMAC Report of Subcommittee on 6G,'' December 2023. 
[Online]. Available: https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/6g_subcommittee_final_report.pdf.
    \3\ ``National 6G Roadmap,'' February 2022. [Online]. Available: 
https://nextgalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NextGA-Roadmap.pdf.
    \4\ ``Bharat 6G Vision,'' March 2023. [Online]. Available: 
https://xsinfoways.net/6G-Alliance/img/Bharat-6G-Vision-Statement-copy%202_1.pdf.
    \5\ ``White Paper on 6G Vision and Candidate Technologies,'' 
June 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.caict.ac.cn/english/news/202106/P020210608349616163475.pdf.
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    To ensure that 6G can meet these objectives, NTIA is requesting 
comments from interested parties to help inform the development of 
appropriate policy positions that will enable the U.S. to plan 
effectively for the 6G future and ensure that U.S. industry plays a 
leading role in the development of global standards and innovation 
ecosystems for 6G.
    NTIA is most interested in comments on 6G topics related to 
proposed priorities, likely or potential use cases, and research and 
development from relevant stakeholders, including comments from 
stakeholders in the private sector (specifically, wireless broadband 
internet service providers, original equipment manufacturers and 
network vendors, developers and end-users of spectrum-based 
technologies and services, and contractors for federal missions), 
academia, civil society, the public sector, and others.
    This request for comment is not focused on spectrum issues 
surrounding

[[Page 45649]]

6G. NTIA, in coordination with executive branch agencies and the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is currently implementing the 
2023 National Spectrum Strategy (NSS), which received over 130 comments 
and established the foundation for the 2024 NSS Implementation Plan.\6\ 
NTIA encourages interested parties to engage with NTIA's Office of 
Spectrum Management on implementation of the NSS and other spectrum 
matters.
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    \6\ ``National Spectrum Strategy,'' November 13, 2023. [Online]. 
Available: https://www.ntia.gov/report/2023/national-spectrum-strategy-pdf, ``National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan,'' 
March 12, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/publications/national-spectrum-strategy-implementation-plan.pdf, and ``National Spectrum Strategy Request 
for Comment Responses,'' April 19, 2023. [Online]. Available: 
https://www.ntia.gov/issues/national-spectrum-strategy/stakeholder-engagement/received-comments/request-for-comment-responses.
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Request for Comments

    NTIA welcomes input on any matter that commenters believe is 
important to the U.S. Government's role in 6G development and use. 
Commenters are invited to comment on the full range of issues presented 
by this Request for Comments and are encouraged to address any or all 
of the following questions, or to provide additional information 
relevant to 6G technology. When responding to one or more of the 
questions below, please note in the text of your response the number of 
the question to which you are responding. As part of their response, 
commenters are welcome to provide specific actionable proposals, 
rationales, and relevant factual information.
    NTIA seeks public comment on the following questions:

Enabling 6G Success

    1. Which specific use cases will benefit from 6G technology 
initially, and how can the U.S. Government support these innovations?
    2. What existing or future policies should the U.S. Government 
promote to support 6G development beyond spectrum use? What existing or 
future U.S. Government policies or initiatives could potentially stifle 
6G development and deployment, or harm the ability of companies in the 
U.S. or its like-minded partners to compete in international markets?
    3. What new challenges will arise from 6G regarding privacy, 
equity, and civil liberties? How can the U.S. Government ensure that 
the benefits of 6G technology extend to all segments of society?
    4. How should the U.S. Government cooperate with like-minded 
countries on enabling 6G success globally? Are there existing 
international initiatives on 6G that the U.S. Government should 
consider? Are U.S. companies and those of likeminded countries 
positioned to be global leaders in 6G development, standardization, 
adoption, and deployment? What other countries or regions represent the 
strongest challenges to U.S. leadership in 6G? What can the U.S. 
Government do to enable success of U.S. companies in the global 6G 
market?
    5. Previous commercial wireless generations have been deployed and 
operated predominantly by dedicated Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) 
whose primary business function is deployment and operation of such 
networks. More recent use cases for 5G-Advanced and 6G, however, 
envision other types of entities, such as industries and corporate or 
academic campuses, operating their own non-public networks (NPNs). What 
barriers need to be addressed to enable 6G adoption in these non-
traditional verticals?
    6. What is required to develop a domestic workforce capable of 
designing, manufacturing, deploying, and operating 6G networks and 
equipment? Will retraining or expansion of the currently wireless 
industry workforce be necessary for U.S. success in 6G?
    7. What public-private partnerships would help enable U.S. 
leadership in global 6G development?
    8. How are standards being set or developed to ensure that 6G 
supports interoperability between multiple telecommunications 
infrastructure suppliers?
    9. With regard to the transition from 5G to 6G, what can be done 
now with 5G development to enable 6G success? How should these efforts 
be prioritized?
    10. What supply chain issues currently present in 5G deployment and 
operation could potentially also impact 6G development and deployment? 
How will the 6G supply chain, for both hardware and software, differ 
from the 5G supply chain?
    11. What infrastructure issues currently inhibit 5G deployment 
(e.g. lack of access to high-speed backhaul infrastructure, standalone 
and non-standalone networks, etc.)? How can infrastructure be improved 
to enable a smooth and speedy deployment of 6G? Will siting needs for 
densified network infrastructure and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 
backhaul require additional antenna placements on buildings, 
particularly those owned by public housing agencies or similar? Will 
these placements require additional site leases?

6G and Beyond Research and Development

    12. What areas of foundational research will accelerate 6G and 
beyond technology development? What advances in related technologies, 
such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, satellite 
communication, energy storage and transmission, semiconductor 
fabrication, etc., will be essential for successful development and 
deployment of 6G technologies and those for subsequent generations? Do 
developments in these or other emerging technologies such as quantum 
computing have the potential to substantially change the basic 
functionality or evolution of 6G or subsequent generations?
    13. What are the necessary or priority investment areas for 6G 
testbeds and platforms to help support and accelerate 6G and beyond 
innovations in the United States?
    14. In what areas should the U.S. Government focus its 6G and 
beyond research?
    15. What standards development organizations, industry consortia, 
and stakeholder groups have taken up important topics related to 6G? 
Conversely, are there industries, stakeholders, or other groups whose 
perspectives are necessary to help ensure 6G research is 
interdisciplinary and extends across all necessary industry sectors?
    16. What does the intellectual property landscape for 6G technology 
look like and how does this affect the U.S. Government strategy for 6G 
development? Do certain companies or regions own a disproportionate 
share of the Intellectual Property anticipated to be necessary for 
building 6G systems?
    17. What roadmaps for development, standardization, and rollout 
currently exist? To what extent, if any, do these roadmaps conflict 
with each other, and how will these conflicts be reconciled?
    18. What can the U.S. Government do to more effectively to engage 
on 6G standards development through IMT-2030?
    19. When is 6G technology expected to begin lab and field trials 
and then become commercially available? What developments in 6G 
technology could accelerate replacement of obsolete technologies?
    20. What new developments should be explored for:
    a. 6G Radio Interface;
    b. Core and Transport Networks;
    c. User Equipment;

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    d. Open Source Software and Open Architectures
    e. Intelligent Architecture/Machines;
    f. Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning;
    g. Security and Privacy;
    h. Non-terrestrial Networks;
    i. Power-efficient and Sustainable Networks;
    j. Wireless Sensing;
    k. Internet of Things (IoT); and
    l. Spectrum Sharing, including Dynamic Spectrum Access?
    m. Security and Resiliency; and
    n. Semiconductor Technologies.
    21. What can be done to enable seamless and ubiquitous access to 
heterogeneous 6G services across multiple radio access types (e.g. 
terrestrial radio, non-terrestrial/satellite communication)?

6G Safety, Security, and Environmental Concerns

    22. How could 6G improve network resiliency during disaster and 
recovery operations, such as in hurricane response and other natural 
and man-made disasters that impact network performance?
    23. How could 6G improve public safety and first responder mission 
critical communications?
    24. Are there challenges in upgrading legacy public safety services 
(such as Enhanced 9-1-1, E9-1-1) to 5G that could affect 6G deployment? 
Will 6G exacerbate existing incompatibilities between commercial 
wireless networks and E9-1-1 service?
    25. What impact will 6G have on the migration to Next Generation 9-
1-1 (NG9-1-1) by public safety entities? Are there hurdles which will 
impair the ability of public safety entities to communicate with the 
general public and first responders as these stakeholders upgrade to 
6G?
    26. What steps should be taken to ensure that 6G technology can 
support critical services, e.g., mission critical services used by 
first responders and other National Security/Emergency Preparedness 
(NS/EP) services, that require secure, highly available, and resilient 
networks?
    27. Are there any concerns about the energy efficiency of 6G 
equipment and networks? If so, what steps could potentially be taken to 
reduce the energy consumption associated with this equipment?
    28. Much of 6G's energy costs will come from operating the network. 
However, manufacturing, installing, and maintaining the physical 
infrastructure of 6G also has energy and environmental costs. Is the 
industry taking initiatives to reduce overall energy necessary to build 
and install 6G network infrastructure, and if so, what are they? Is it 
feasible to recycle or retrofit legacy network equipment or Open Radio 
Access Network (RAN) components to cut back on electronic waste? What 
cybersecurity challenges have been faced in the development and 
deployment of 5G technology? How can such challenges be prevented in 
the development and deployment of 6G technology?

Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee 6G Report

    29. CSMAC's 6G report, published in December 2023 and available at 
https://www.ntia.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/6g_subcommittee_final_report.pdf, addressed a wide array of topics 
including overarching 6G vision, 6G use cases, 6G technical 
capabilities, and potential uses for 6G by the government. We seek 
comment on its findings and recommendations. Are there subjects 
addressed by the CSMAC report that should be further explored? Is the 
CSMAC report missing any additional topics of consideration regarding 
6G? Have events occurred since publication of the report that affect 
industry's understanding of 6G? Do you have additional information or 
views that you believe would be helpful to NTIA?
    Instructions for Commenters: NTIA invites comments on the full 
range of issues that may be presented in this Notice, including issues 
that are not specifically raised in the above questions. Commenters are 
encouraged to address any or all of the above questions. Comments that 
contain references to studies, research, and other empirical data that 
are not widely available should include copies of the referenced 
materials with the submitted comments. Attachments to electronic 
comments should be machine-readable and should not be copy-protected. 
Responders should include the name of the person or organization filing 
the comment, which will facilitate agency follow-up for clarifications 
as necessary, as well as a page number on each page of their 
submissions. All comments received are a part of the public record and 
will generally be posted on the NTIA website, http://www.ntia.gov/, 
without change. All personal identifying information (for example, 
name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.

    Dated: May 17, 2024.
Stephanie Weiner,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-11277 Filed 5-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P