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Future Internet
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5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems
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5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems

A special issue of Future Internet (ISSN 1999-5903). This special issue belongs to the section "Internet of Things".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2027 | Viewed by 3848

Editors

Dr. Bin Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: future network architecture and protocols; intelligent network analysis and optimization; computing network collaborative optimization; network security
Prof. Dr. Jose I. Moreno Novella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas Telemáticos, ETSI de Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: emerging wireless networks; 5G; Internet of Things; QoS–security–mobility support; wireless sensor networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advent of 5G and the forthcoming 6G technologies are set to revolutionize wireless communications, facilitating unprecedented connectivity and enabling a wide range of applications across various sectors. These advancements promise to support massive IoT deployments, enhance mobile broadband experiences, and introduce new paradigms such as ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and network slicing.

However, the rapid evolution of these technologies also brings forth critical challenges related to security, privacy, and sustainability. As communication networks become more complex and interconnected, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and maintaining network integrity are paramount. Innovative solutions are needed to address potential vulnerabilities, particularly in contexts like smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and telemedicine.

This Special Issue aims to present cutting-edge research and insights into the future of wireless communications beyond 5G. Contributions may include both theoretical and practical approaches to enhance the security, efficiency, and robustness of wireless networks. We encourage interdisciplinary studies that explore the synergies between communication technologies, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, among others.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Advanced security mechanisms for 5G/6G networks.
  • Privacy-preserving communication protocols in mobile networks.
  • Resource allocation and management strategies for ultra-dense networks.
  • Machine learning applications for network optimization and anomaly detection.
  • Sustainability and energy-efficient designs for next-generation wireless systems.
  • Evaluation of regulatory frameworks and compliance in evolving communication landscapes.
  • Heterogeneous computing platforms and workflow integration for AI-driven 5G/6G applications.
  • Case studies on the deployment and impact of 5G/6G technologies in test beds and real-world applications.

Dr. Bin Dai
Prof. Dr. Jose I. Moreno Novella
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Internet is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • 5G/6G
  • wireless communications
  • network optimization
  • machine learning
  • edge computing
  • network slicing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 599 KB  
Article
Comparative Performance Evaluation of Six Federated Learning Frameworks Under Locked FedAvg: Native SDKs and a Shared Reference Harness for Edge-Oriented 6G Applications
by Vasileios D. Batsios and Constantinos T. Angelis
Future Internet 2026, 18(8), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18080416 - 6 Aug 2026
Viewed by 211
Abstract
Federated learning (FL) enables privacy-preserving collaborative training at the network edge, a core capability envisioned for sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems. While surveys and scale-oriented benchmarks advance FL methodology, documented, head-to-head comparisons of mainstream Python frameworks under identical FedAvg settings remain scarce. We benchmark [...] Read more.
Federated learning (FL) enables privacy-preserving collaborative training at the network edge, a core capability envisioned for sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems. While surveys and scale-oriented benchmarks advance FL methodology, documented, head-to-head comparisons of mainstream Python frameworks under identical FedAvg settings remain scarce. We benchmark six frameworks—Flower, TensorFlow Federated (TFF), FedML, NVIDIA FLARE, OpenFL, and PySyft—distinguishing two native SDK integrations (Flower, TFF) from four runs of a shared PyTorch FedAvg reference harness (FedML, NVIDIA FLARE, OpenFL, PySyft) in a controlled two-phase study on a Proxmox virtualized testbed with containerized runners, formalize the FedAvg objective and communication-cost model, and position our contribution against prior surveys, scale benchmarks, and single-framework documentation. Each framework–dataset pair is repeated over five IID partitions (random seeds 42–46); we report round-10 mean ± standard deviation for accuracy, wall time, and simulated communication volume. Phase 1 (MNIST) confirms protocol fairness (99.22±0.07–99.29±0.06% accuracy) with moderate wall-time spread; Phase 2 (CIFAR-10) exposes stack-dependent accuracy gaps (TFF 71.16±0.23% vs. ≈68% for PyTorch runners). We report per-round accuracy and loss curves with variability bands, wall-time comparisons, and simulated parameter traffic for all six frameworks across nine figures. The experimental protocol, model topology, and hyperparameters are specified in full; per-round JSON metrics and global model checkpoints are published. The study provides a documented baseline for 6G edge framework selection and for follow-on network-constrained and security experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems)
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22 pages, 13654 KB  
Article
Comparative Study of Ground-Slot Geometries for 5G Microstrip Antenna Performance Enhancement
by Amjad Hindi, Farouq Al-Taweel, Issam Trrad, Majed Dwairi, Elvira Dwairi and Safaa Moqbel
Future Internet 2026, 18(8), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18080386 - 24 Jul 2026
Viewed by 227
Abstract
This research paper investigates the impact of inserting a ground slot on the frequency performance of a monopole-type microstrip patch antenna. To examine this, a reference antenna, which is a simple rectangular monopole with the dimensions 2.4 × 2.04 mm2, was [...] Read more.
This research paper investigates the impact of inserting a ground slot on the frequency performance of a monopole-type microstrip patch antenna. To examine this, a reference antenna, which is a simple rectangular monopole with the dimensions 2.4 × 2.04 mm2, was mounted on a 12 × 12 mm2 Rogers RT 5880 substrate with a thickness of 0.254 mm and a dielectric constant of εᵣ = 2.2. It was also fed by a 50 Ω microstrip line. This work compares the effects of four different geometries of rectangular ground slots: rectangular, triangular, half-ring, and half-circle, on the performance of the microstrip patch antenna. The no-slot baseline antenna showed a resonance of 12.55 GHz and a reflection coefficient of −15.9 dB. Adding a ground slot allowed the advent of single or dual-resonant frequencies, which significantly enhanced the appropriateness of the antenna in 5G usage. Notably, the rectangular slot with b1 = 3 mm achieved a resonance of 22.5 GHz, with a reflection coefficient of −33.7 dB, while b1 = 1 mm enabled dual-band operation at 11.77 GHz and 38.3 GHz. Triangular slots provided strong single-frequency operation between 26 GHz and 31 GHz, and the half-circle slot with r3 = 1 mm resonated at 12 GHz with a reflection coefficient of −39.5 dB. Although the half-ring slot had a comparatively lower reflection coefficient, it still showed dual-band potential at 11.1 GHz and 34.14 GHz. The simulation results were validated using HFSS, demonstrating good alignment. The gain of the selected antennas was also investigated, where the highest gain of 4.2 dBi was achieved by the half-ring slot design, and the lowest gain of 3.09 dBi was obtained with the half-circle slot. These findings confirm that ground-slot integration is an effective technique for frequency tuning and performance enhancement in 5G antenna design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems)
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26 pages, 8630 KB  
Article
Experimental Evaluation and Performance Analysis of 5G NSA Networks
by Vasileios D. Batsios, Spiridoula V. Margariti, Constantinos T. Angelis and Eleftherios Stergiou
Future Internet 2026, 18(6), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18060320 - 12 Jun 2026
Viewed by 727
Abstract
5G technology was introduced in 2019 with the aim of transforming digital connectivity, enabling a new generation of communication capabilities, such as significantly faster mobile broadband, highly reliable low-latency links, and the capacity to support vast IoT deployments. However, the expected improvements promised [...] Read more.
5G technology was introduced in 2019 with the aim of transforming digital connectivity, enabling a new generation of communication capabilities, such as significantly faster mobile broadband, highly reliable low-latency links, and the capacity to support vast IoT deployments. However, the expected improvements promised by 5G technology do not seem to be reflected in actual usage. This study aims to address the issue of the real-world usage of 5G telecommunications networks and compare it with the theoretical specifications of the network as officially published by 3GPP. Specifically, the focus will be on the evaluation of the implementation of the 5G network in northwestern Greece, which operates in Non-Standalone (NSA) mode as of the date of this study’s completion. 5G Standalone (SA) networks were not available for public testing in this region during the data collection period. The analysis focuses on key performance indicators, including throughput, latency, stability, and coverage, to assess how effectively current deployments meet the expectations set by 5G standards. Results show that while 5G delivers notable improvements in peak data rates and latency, several practical limitations persist. NSA deployments remain constrained by their dependence on 4G infrastructure, resource sharing between LTE and 5G components affects performance under high-load conditions, and inconsistent coverage leads to significant variability in user experience. These findings highlight the gap between theoretical capabilities and operational performance, offering insights that can guide future network optimization and inform the transition toward 5G Standalone (SA) architectures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems)
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18 pages, 17464 KB  
Article
Feature Extraction in 5G Wireless Systems: A Quantum Cat Swarm and Wavelet-Based Approach
by Anand Raju and Sathishkumar Samiappan
Future Internet 2025, 17(5), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17050188 - 22 Apr 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1371
Abstract
This paper represents a new method for the extraction of features from 5G signals using spectrogram and quantum cat swarm optimization (QCSO). The proposed approach uses a discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based convolutional neural network (W-CNN) to enhance the extracted features and improve the [...] Read more.
This paper represents a new method for the extraction of features from 5G signals using spectrogram and quantum cat swarm optimization (QCSO). The proposed approach uses a discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based convolutional neural network (W-CNN) to enhance the extracted features and improve the signal classification. The combination of QCSO and W-CNN is designed to enable improved signal recognition and dimension reduction. Our results demonstrate an improvement in the 5G signal feature extraction performance with the use of this novel approach. The QCSO shows improvement in seven out of eight parameters studied when compared to five other state-of-the-art optimization methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 5G/6G and Beyond: The Future of Wireless Communications Systems)
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