6G: A System-Level Leap, Not Just a Speed Boost

As the industry begins shaping the architecture of 6G, Dr. Sassan Ahmadi, Product Manager for Keysight’s flagship electronic design automation (EDA) software platform SystemVue, offers a clear message: 6G is not just about faster data rates, it’s about rethinking the entire system. From spectrum strategy and sensing integration to AI-native design and energy efficiency, Sassan’s perspective emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that balances innovation with practicality.

Beyond the Speed Narrative

While 5G brought significant improvements in latency and throughput, Sassan believes 6G must go further, not just in performance, but in purpose.

“We’ve reached a point where speed alone isn’t the story. 6G has to deliver new capabilities such as context awareness, sensing, and intelligent resource management.”

This means designing networks that are adaptive, energy-aware, and service-oriented, capable of supporting emerging use cases like immersive XR, digital twins, and autonomous systems.

Spectrum: A Strategic Asset, Not Just a Bandwidth Bucket

Sassan emphasized that 6G’s success will hinge on smart spectrum strategy. While frequency range 3 (FR3) is gaining traction, it’s not a clean slate. Incumbent users, especially in satellite and defense, make coexistence and sharing essential.

“We need to treat spectrum as a shared resource. Dynamic access, sensing-assisted sharing, and coexistence mechanisms will be critical.”

He also noted that global harmonization is key. Without alignment across regions, device makers face fragmented band plans, complicating RF front-end design and slowing deployment.

Integrated Sensing and Communication: A New Dimension

One of the most transformative aspects of 6G is integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Sassan sees this as a way to turn networks into environmental sensors, enabling applications like:

“With ISAC, we’re not just transmitting data, we’re perceiving the environment. That opens up entirely new service models.”

By reusing existing communication waveforms for sensing, operators can leverage their infrastructure to deliver new capabilities without deploying separate sensor networks.

AI-Native Networks: Intelligence at the Core

Sassan highlighted the shift toward AI-native design, where machine learning is embedded into the network architecture, not just used for optimization after deployment.

“AI will be part of the control loop. It’s not just about analytics, it’s about real-time decision-making.”

This includes AI-driven beamforming, resource allocation, and mobility management, as well as predictive maintenance and energy optimization. But Sassan also stressed the importance of model transparency and testability, especially in safety-critical applications.

Energy Efficiency: A Non-Negotiable Design Goal

With 6G expected to support billions of devices and massive infrastructure, energy efficiency becomes a central concern. Sassan believes this must be addressed at every layer, from RF front ends to protocol design and AI inference.

“We can’t scale 6G unless we solve the energy problem. Efficiency has to be baked into the architecture.”

This includes innovations in hardware integration, low-power signaling, and intelligent sleep modes, as well as network-level orchestration to minimize unnecessary transmissions.

What to Expect in the Near Term

Looking ahead to 2026, Sassan anticipates several key developments:

  1. Early ISAC trials, validating sensing accuracy and integration with existing infrastructure.
  2. AI-native radio access network (RAN) prototypes, demonstrating real-time learning and adaptation.
  3. Spectrum sharing frameworks, emerging from regulatory studies and industry collaboration.

These milestones will shape the path toward standardization and commercial readiness in the late 2020s.

Conclusion: A Purpose-Built Future

Sassan’s vision for 6G is clear: it’s not just about pushing engineering boundaries, it’s about designing networks that are intelligent, efficient, and context-aware. By integrating sensing, embedding AI, and rethinking spectrum strategy, 6G can become a platform for real-world transformation, not just technical evolution.

“6G is our chance to build networks that understand the world, not just connect it.”

Listen to the full interview here.

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