Advances and Future Trends in 6G and Next-Generation Wireless Communication Networks
A special issue of Telecom (ISSN 2673-4001).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1060
Special Issue Editors
Interests: wireless channel; channel modelling; cellular communications; cellular standards; mobile standards; 3GPP standards; 6G networks; network optimisation; etc.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: mobile wireless communication systems; information theory and channel coding; estimation and detection theory; spread spectrum CDMA Systems; adaptive multi-user receivers; adaptive antenna arrays; MIMO; mm-wave MIMO communication; random access communication networks; random sequences in communications and radar systems; radar signal processing; adaptive filtering and signal processing in communications; adaptive equalization and modem design; blind algorithms in multi-user communications; mobile communications fading channel modeling; multi carrier techniques; 5G/6G+ cellular networks
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The evolution of mobile and wireless communication technologies continues to drive global digital transformation. As 5G networks reach widespread deployment, attention is rapidly shifting to the development of sixth-generation (6G) cellular systems, which promise to deliver unprecedented performance in data rate, latency, connectivity, and intelligence.
6G is envisioned to enable data rates exceeding terabits per second, sub-millisecond latency, and ubiquitous connectivity across terrestrial, aerial, and satellite environments. It will leverage artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), and terahertz (THz) communication to realize truly intelligent and adaptive networks. These capabilities will empower next-generation applications such as immersive extended reality (XR), tactile internet, digital twins, autonomous mobility, and smart cities.
Understanding and developing these advanced wireless paradigms are of high scientific importance, as they bridge communication theory, AI, and system engineering. Research in this field is crucial to overcoming challenges in energy efficiency, spectrum scarcity, standardization, and interoperability, ensuring that 6G evolves into a sustainable and inclusive global communication framework.
The aim of this Special Issue on “Advances and Future Trends in 6G and Next-Generation Wireless Communication Networks” is to present recent advances, innovative concepts, and emerging directions in the design and optimization of 6G and beyond wireless systems.
Aligned with the scope of journals focusing on mobile, wireless, and broadband communication technologies, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for academic researchers, industry experts, and practitioners to share high-quality contributions that advance both theoretical foundations and practical implementations.
By emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration among communication engineers, data scientists, and system architects, this Special Issue will highlight the convergence of communication systems with AI, edge computing, quantum communication, and network intelligence, thereby laying the foundations for future wireless ecosystems.
This Special Issue welcomes original research papers, technical reviews, and visionary perspectives in (but not limited to) the following areas:
- 6G system architectures, frameworks, and standardization;
- AI-enabled wireless communication and intelligent resource allocation;
- Channel modelling and propagation at mmWave, sub-THz, and THz frequencies;
- Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and smart radio environments;
- AI-controlled MIMO and massive MIMO for 6G;
- Network slicing, virtualization, and orchestration in multi-service networks;
- Edge, fog, and cloud-native computing for real-time decision-making;
- Quantum communication and physical-layer security;
- Integration of terrestrial, aerial, and satellite networks;
- Energy-efficient and sustainable communication systems;
- Ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and industrial IoT;
- AI-enhanced signal processing and adaptive channel modeling;
- 6G standardization efforts and 3GPP evolution;
- Standalone 6G network design and optimization;
- Applications in smart cities, autonomous systems, healthcare, and extended reality (XR).
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Triantafyllos Kanakis
Dr. Charan Litchfield
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Telecom is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1400 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
- 6G communication systems
- AI-enabled wireless networks
- AI-enabled channel modelling
- reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS)
- massive MIMO and intelligent beamforming
- network slicing and virtualization
- edge–fog–cloud computing integration
- quantum communication and security
- terrestrial–aerial–satellite network convergence
- energy-efficient and sustainable communications
- ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC)
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