A Roadmap of Next-Generation Wireless Technology for 6G-Enabled Vehicular Networks

Abstract

Ultra-reliable connectivity and delay-sensitive data transmission is the ever increasing demand for the next generation transportation system. However, substantial network congestion and long-distance data travel always create significant delays even with conventional 4G or 5G cellular technology. Situations become critical even in autonomous transportation systems in various domain-specific applications, where smart vehicles continuously generate an enormous amount of data to make optimal decisions, for example, self-driving cars, autonomous robots, and industrial transportation. Thus, the importance of beyond 5G or 6G technology in the transportation system is prominent and requires a different level of investigation. With this motivation, in this article, we briefly analyze next-generation 6G-supported technologies and their advantages on adopting 6G into the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). We also shed light on several 6G-based frameworks in IoV networks. Finally, we conclude our discussion by addressing current open research challenges and future directions of solving those challenges with 6G technology.