From 6G Scenarios and Requirements to Design Drivers: Insights from 3GPP Release 20
It addresses the problem of translating early 6G standardization into practical design insights for researchers and engineers, but it is incremental as it builds on existing 3GPP efforts.
The paper interprets 3GPP Release 20 definitions to bridge standardized 6G scenarios with system design, organizing deployment scenarios and services into a framework and identifying key design drivers like AI-native networking and joint communication and sensing.
The definition of sixth-generation (6G) systems is being shaped by early standardization efforts, including the 3GPP TR 38.914 (Release 20) study on scenarios and requirements. This study introduces a comprehensive set of deployment environments, service classes, and performance targets that will guide the evolution toward IMT-2030. This article provides a design-oriented interpretation of these definitions, bridging the gap between standardized scenarios and system design. We first organize 6G deployment scenarios and emerging services into a unified framework. We then identify key design drivers derived from the 3GPP requirements, including terrestrial-non-terrestrial integration, GNSS-free operation, AI-native networking, and joint communication and sensing. Finally, we discuss the implications of these drivers on 6G architecture and highlight open challenges for future standardization and research.