6G Channel Modeling for Realistic Network Simulation

Keysight Technologies, NTT DOCOMO and NTT are collaborating to advance channel modeling and simulation methods for 6G wireless systems. The cooperation focuses on developing realistic testing and evaluation approaches for wireless communication networks used in mobile infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and future connected services.

Background of the Collaboration
As 6G research progresses, the need for accurate methods to evaluate wireless networks under real-world operating conditions is increasing. Future mobile communication systems must operate reliably in complex environments such as urban areas, indoor spaces, and transportation corridors. While field testing provides real-world data, it is costly and difficult to reproduce. Simplified laboratory models, on the other hand, may not fully capture important propagation effects such as multipath behavior, mobility, and beamforming.

Against this backdrop, the three companies have expanded their existing cooperation on technologies for the design, testing, and measurement of 6G systems. The objective is to improve the realism, reproducibility, and scalability of evaluating future wireless architectures.

Technical Solution and Responsibilities
As part of the collaboration, Keysight Technologies and NTT DOCOMO are refining measurement-based channel models. The work uses real-world radio propagation data, including Channel Impulse Response (CIR) measurements, to represent complex wireless environments more accurately within laboratory and simulation platforms.

At the same time, Keysight Technologies and NTT are advancing simulation methods for distributed MIMO systems. In this architecture, multiple geographically distributed antenna sites operate in a coordinated manner to improve network coverage, capacity, and connection reliability.

The division of responsibilities combines the wireless network and measurement expertise of NTT DOCOMO and NTT with Keysight Technologies’ simulation, testing, and modeling platforms. This approach is intended to create realistic digital models capable of reproducing a wide range of deployment scenarios.

Implementation and Validation
Development activities are being carried out within the existing research and simulation environments of the participating companies. Data collected from real-world measurement campaigns is integrated into simulation models and then used to evaluate emerging 6G concepts.

By combining accurate channel models with advanced beamforming techniques, researchers can analyze the performance of new network architectures under controlled conditions without relying exclusively on extensive field testing. This supports the assessment of network coverage, reliability, spectral efficiency, and mobility performance.

Applications and Expected Impact
The developed methods are intended for research organizations, network operators, and telecommunications companies working on future 6G networks. Potential application areas include urban mobile networks, intelligent transportation systems, and highly connected industrial and communications environments. The use of measurement-based channel models can improve simulation accuracy. At the same time, reproducible testing environments enable more efficient evaluation of new wireless technologies and support the development of future wireless communication standards.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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