The Future of Convergence: Quantum, 6G, and Prix-Fixe Menus
This is the eighth and final installment in our series on technology convergence, cybersecurity, and the implications for policymakers. You can read the full series here.
We’ve been on a culinary odyssey together as we’ve explored connected communities, technology convergence, and a buffet of delicious delights. For the last installment of this series, we will talk about the future of technology convergence in the municipal environment. But wait! Haven’t we already been talking about futuristic things? We sure have, but it is incumbent upon all of us to look beyond even what feels like futuristic concepts to begin with. This post will explore a few coming technologies that will collide with the municipal environment and potentially cause governance, procurement, and operational challenges. But do not worry. A prix fixe menu of recipes used in this series will be provided as a reward for coming along on the journey. Soon enough, we'll be kicking back with an Oaxacan Mule while our Brussels Sprouts crisp up.
6G
One of the primary reasons that municipal IoT has grown so exponentially in recent years is the rollout of 5G. The leap from 4G to 5G enabled the field deployment of IoT sensors in a given municipality to grow to tens of thousands. That convergence (see how it all connects?) was a major factor in the growth of the connected community concept. But we are hardly finished. 5G will not be the final “G” in telecommunications, so what happens next? Luckily, the process for 6G is already underway, and we have a few clues.
The international standard for 6G is still under development, so exactly what 6G will look like is unclear. However, a few features are discussed frequently and could have a bearing here. That’s terahertz wave and dynamic spectrum.
Terahertz is a frequency band also known as sub-millimeter radiation. It has an incredibly high frequency, meaning more information can be carried than on lower frequencies. This is the kind of frequency that, in theory, could permit things like fully remote surgery because the lag times would be almost negligible. This impressive breakthrough could impact connected communities due to the healthcare applications. However, this extremely low lag time could also be applied to industry or other critical infrastructure. It’s not all roses with terahertz, however.
Things like dense fog and walls impact the propagation of terahertz waves. We count the range of terahertz waves in tens of meters under the best conditions. Adverse weather would affect the delivery of terahertz waves, absent some major scientific breakthroughs. Terahertz would require repeaters every 30 meters or so to provide the coverage that would make it usable. Doing so in a large city or a sparsely populated rural area would not be feasible. However, covering a hospital or a small college campus might be possible. In cities of the future, we may see 5G as the overall broadband coverage, with small “spotlights” of 6G covering specific areas. If that’s the case, the entire complexion of connected communities will change because areas with 6G spotlights will have considerably more bandwidth and lower latency compared to other parts of the municipality, creating an equity and access question that will have to be solved by municipal leaders.
Dynamic spectrum is another area that may define 6G, meaning what it sounds like. It means that when a device uses some piece of spectrum, it will be routed to the band with the least users. This will also open more bandwidth and increase access. This will be more important for large urban environments than the smaller rural environments, but the availability of more bandwidth to serve more users is an essential potential feature. Dynamic spectrum could clear more bandwidth to create more access and opportunities for larger connected community deployments.
Quantum
To truly get into depth on quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography, we would need a different blog series, and GoTech both is and is not still deciding whether a blog series on quarks and qubits is necessary (get it?). The biggest point to remember here is that quantum computers will eventually be able to break our current encryption. Not today, but soon. The ability to break our existing encryption schemes may be the largest cybersecurity crisis of our generation if we are not prepared. The good news is that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is already standardizing the new encryption algorithms, but the transition will have to be done by vendors and operators. Protecting citizens' data is critically important not just on an individual level but a whole community level. Community or regional privacy breaches can result in homeland security threats, as discussed in post #6 of this series. Municipal planners will need to consider the progress of quantum computing and prioritize the transition to post-quantum cryptography as a way to protect its aggregate data. Here is a resource from the Department of Homeland Security on the post-quantum cryptography transition.
These future-facing technologies are just two examples of how quickly technological changes are coming. That speed means that the convergence of technologies will also be impacted, changing the face of connected community architectures. This is another reason we must push toward protocol-level interoperability standards for IoT devices and deployment and operational standards for municipal IoT deployments. We are already trying to figure out how current technology impacts citizens, critical infrastructure, and homeland security in the absence of standards. As future technologies are delivered and deployed, the need for standards is even greater.
Recipe Promises Made, Recipe Promises Delivered:
Let’s raise a glass and dig in! Here’s to secure municipal IoT architectures and the future of connected communities.
