Extreme URLLC: Vision, Challenges, and Key Enablers
Notwithstanding the significant traction gained by ultra reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) in both academia and 3GPP standardization, fundamentals of URLLC remain elusive. Meanwhile, new immersive and high stake control applications with much stricter reliability, latency and scalability requirements are posing unprecedented challenges in terms of system design and algorithmic solutions. This article aspires at providing a fresh and in depth look into URLLC by first examining the limitations of 5G URLLC, and putting forward key research directions for the next generation of URLLC, coined eXtreme ultra reliable and low latency communication (xURLLC) xURLLC is underpinned by three core concepts: (1) it leverages recent advances in machine learning (ML) for faster and reliable data driven predictions; (2) it fuses both radio frequency (RF) and non RF modalities for modeling and combating rare events without sacrificing spectral efficiency; and (3) it underscores the much needed joint communication and control co design, as opposed to the communication centric 5G URLLC. The intent of this article is to spearhead beyond 5G/6G mission critical applications by laying out a holistic vision of xURLLC, its research challenges and enabling technologies, while providing key insights grounded in selected use cases.
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