IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i16p7039-d1457769.html

The Role of 6G Technologies in Advancing Smart City Applications: Opportunities and Challenges

Author

Listed:
  • Sanjeev Sharma

    (Research Department, Rayat Bahra University, Kharar 140104, Punjab, India)

  • Renu Popli

    (Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, Punjab, India)

  • Sajjan Singh

    (Chandigarh College of Engineering, Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Jhanjeri, Mohali 140307, Punjab, India)

  • Gunjan Chhabra

    (Department of CSE, Graphic Era Hill University (Graphic Era Deemed to be University Dehradun), Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, India)

  • Gurpreet Singh Saini

    (School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India)

  • Maninder Singh

    (Research Department, Rayat Bahra University, Kharar 140104, Punjab, India)

  • Archana Sandhu

    (MM Institute of Computer Technology and Business Management, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala 134007, Haryana, India)

  • Ashutosh Sharma

    (Business School, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471300, China)

  • Rajeev Kumar

    (Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, Punjab, India)

Abstract

The deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks has already laid the ground-work for futuristic smart cities but along with this, it has also triggered the rapid growth of a wide range of applications, for example, the Internet of Everything (IoE), online gaming, extended/virtual reality (XR/VR), telemedicine, cloud computing, and others, which require ultra-low latency, ubiquitous coverage, higher data rates, extreme device density, ultra-high capacity, energy efficiency, and better reliability. Moreover, the predicted explosive surge in mobile traffic until 2030 along with envisioned potential use-cases/scenarios in a smart city context will far exceed the capabilities for which 5G was designed. Therefore, there is a need to harness the 6th Generation (6G) capabilities, which will not only meet the stringent requirements of smart megacities but can also open up a new range of potential applications. Other crucial concerns that need to be addressed are related to network security, data privacy, interoperability, the digital divide, and other integration issues. In this article, we examine current and emerging trends for the implementation of 6G in the smart city arena. Firstly, we give an inclusive and comprehensive review of potential 6th Generation (6G) mobile communication technologies that can find potential use in smart cities. The discussion of each technology also covers its potential benefits, challenges and future research direction. Secondly, we also explore promising smart city applications that will use these 6G technologies, such as, smart grids, smart healthcare, smart waste management, etc. In the conclusion part, we have also highlighted challenges and suggestions for possible future research directions. So, in a single paper, we have attempted to provide a wider perspective on 6G-enabled smart cities by including both the potential 6G technologies and their smart city applications. This paper will help readers gain a holistic view to ascertain the benefits, opportunities and applications that 6G technology can bring to meet the diverse, massive and futuristic requirements of smart cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sanjeev Sharma & Renu Popli & Sajjan Singh & Gunjan Chhabra & Gurpreet Singh Saini & Maninder Singh & Archana Sandhu & Ashutosh Sharma & Rajeev Kumar, 2024. "The Role of 6G Technologies in Advancing Smart City Applications: Opportunities and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-53, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:7039-:d:1457769
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7039/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/7039/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tan Yigitcanlar & Kevin C. Desouza & Luke Butler & Farnoosh Roozkhosh, 2020. "Contributions and Risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Building Smarter Cities: Insights from a Systematic Review of the Literature," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-38, March.
    2. Shannon Kugley & Anne Wade & James Thomas & Quenby Mahood & Anne‐Marie Klint Jørgensen & Karianne Hammerstrøm & Nila Sathe, 2017. "Searching for studies: a guide to information retrieval for Campbell systematic reviews," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 1-73.
    3. Baogui Xin & Yongmei Qu, 2019. "Effects of Smart City Policies on Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-15, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Masoud Khanmohamadi & Marco Guerrieri, 2025. "Smart Intersections and Connected Autonomous Vehicles for Sustainable Smart Cities: A Brief Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-32, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luiz Gustavo Francischinelli Rittl & Atiq Zaman & Francisco Henrique de Oliveira, 2025. "Digital Transformation in Waste Management: Disruptive Innovation and Digital Governance for Zero-Waste Cities in the Global South as Keys to Future Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Yu Cao & Cong Xu & Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman & Nur Mardhiyah Aziz, 2022. "A Systematic Review of Green Building Development in China: Advantages, Challenges and Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-29, September.
    3. Lara Stauvermann & Meike Rau & Vivian Meyer & Isabella Sasso & Michael Feldhaus & Karsten Speck, 2025. "PROTOCOL: School Absenteeism Among Children and Young People With Disabilities: A Systematic Review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(1), March.
    4. Palmyra Repette & Jamile Sabatini-Marques & Tan Yigitcanlar & Denilson Sell & Eduardo Costa, 2021. "The Evolution of City-as-a-Platform: Smart Urban Development Governance with Collective Knowledge-Based Platform Urbanism," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Elisabeth A. Shrimpton & Dexter Hunt & Chris D.F. Rogers, 2021. "Justice in (English) Water Infrastructure: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Tan Yigitcanlar & Rashid Mehmood & Juan M. Corchado, 2021. "Green Artificial Intelligence: Towards an Efficient, Sustainable and Equitable Technology for Smart Cities and Futures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-14, August.
    7. Howard White & Bianca Albers & Marie Gaarder & Hege Kornør & Julia Littell & Zack Marshall & Christine Mathew & Terri Pigott & Birte Snilstveit & Hugh Waddington & Vivian Welch, 2020. "Guidance for producing a Campbell evidence and gap map," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), December.
    8. Antonio De Nicola & Maria Luisa Villani, 2021. "Smart City Ontologies and Their Applications: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-40, May.
    9. Hanna Obracht-Prondzyńska & Ewa Duda & Helena Anacka & Jolanta Kowal, 2022. "Greencoin as an AI-Based Solution Shaping Climate Awareness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-25, September.
    10. Xiaoyu He & Bo Li, 2023. "A Study on the Influence of Green Industrial Policy on Urban Green Development: Based on the Empirical Data of Ecological Industrial Park Pilot Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-29, June.
    11. Ibrahim Mutambik, 2024. "Culturally Informed Technology: Assessing Its Importance in the Transition to Smart Sustainable Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-20, May.
    12. Martin Polak & Norbert Tanzer & Per Carlbring, 2022. "PROTOCOL: Effects of virtual reality exposure therapy versus in vivo exposure in treating social anxiety disorder in adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(3), September.
    13. Seng Boon Lim & Jalaluddin Abdul Malek & Md Farabi Yussoff Md Yussoff & Tan Yigitcanlar, 2021. "Understanding and Acceptance of Smart City Policies: Practitioners’ Perspectives on the Malaysian Smart City Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-31, August.
    14. Yongchao Wu & Xinyuan Wei & Yanan Liu & Huilong Li, 2024. "Can the Circular Economy Demonstration Policy Enhance the Green Innovation Level? A Quasi-Natural Experiment from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Chris O'Leary & Rob Ralphs & Jennifer Stevenson & Andrew Smith & Jordan Harrison & Zsolt Kiss & Harry Armitage, 2024. "The effectiveness of abstinence‐based and harm reduction‐based interventions in reducing problematic substance use in adults who are experiencing homelessness in high income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), June.
    16. Heather MacDonald & Cozette Comer & Margaret Foster & Patrick R. Labelle & Scott Marsalis & Kate Nyhan & Zahra Premji & Morwenna Rogers & Ryan Splenda & Claire Stansfield & Sarah Young, 2024. "Searching for studies: A guide to information retrieval for Campbell systematic reviews," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(3), September.
    17. Elisabeth A. Shrimpton & Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan, 2024. "A Systematic Review of Socio-Technical Systems in the Water–Energy–Food Nexus: Building a Framework for Infrastructure Justice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-20, July.
    18. Eduardo González‐Cabañes & Trinidad Garcia & Catherine Chase & Jose Carlos Núñez, 2023. "PROTOCOL: Problem solving before instruction (PS‐I) to promote learning and motivation in child and adult students," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3), September.
    19. Ajay Kumar & Sushil Kumar & Komal & Nirala Ramchiary & Pardeep Singh, 2021. "Role of Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Indigenous Communities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-14, March.
    20. Mohammed Balfaqih & Soltan Abed Alharbi, 2022. "Associated Information and Communication Technologies Challenges of Smart City Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-27, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:7039-:d:1457769. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.